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Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson plans to introduce legislation that would dedicate up to 25% of any sales tax increase for addiction treatment services.
Nelson’s resolution seeks to fill gaps in the city’s existing substance abuse services with any sales tax increase that the state authorized earlier this year.
House Bill 2015 authorizes most local jurisdictions to raise sales taxes by .1% without voter approval. However generated revenue has to go toward public safety programs.
According to a press release from Nelson, a sales tax increase would generate over $35 million annually for the city. Nelson’s resolution would provide up to 25% of that revenue toward drug treatment services including recovery housing and recovery-based services, and stabilizing diversion services such as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, program.
Revenue would also go toward increasing the number of designated crisis responders that determine if someone is in need of involuntary treatment, as well as expand the provision of buprenorphine injections, which work to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
“Addiction is inextricably linked to our public safety and chronic homelessness challenges, and this proposal builds on existing services to provide a ‘pathway to recovery’ for our most vulnerable,” Nelson said in the news release.
Out of 1,044 overdose deaths in King County in 2024, 568 occurred in Seattle. Nelson notes that at the same time, service costs are rising and funding from President Donald Trump’s administration is at risk due to the city not complying with federal immigration enforcement.
Nelson is expected to introduce her legislation next week. There is currently no legislation to raise the sales tax.