Spokane County Commissioners Enact Mental Health Tax

Seattle Post Intelligencer (Spokane, WA): Spokane County commissioners have approved a 0.1 percent local sales tax to help the county provide mental health services, hoping that increased community support will bolster their case for additional state funding. Spokane County voters overwhelmingly approved the tax in an advisory vote in November. Commissioners approved the tax at a meeting this past week. The levy is designed to fill a mental-health funding gap created by reduced federal assistance, lower-than-anticipated state allocations and a lack of local mental-health reserve funds. About $500,000 a month has been cut from local mental-health services since the summer. It is expected to generate $3.9 million during the second half of 2006 - not enough to resolve the deficit but enough to prevent further cuts, said Christine Barada, the county's community services director.