Behavioral Health Sales Tax Passes Pierce County Council

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — In the final Pierce County Council meeting of the year, the council voted 5 -1 to approve a new sales tax hike to fund therapeutic and behavioral health programs.

According to the Office of the Pierce County Council, the proposal adds an additional 0.1 percent sales tax in Pierce County. That's enough to generate an estimated $12 million each year for the county, money that proponents like co-sponsor and Council Vice Chair Dave Morell say will be well spent improving mental health services across the region.

“We have protected taxpayers by requiring development of a strategic plan for behavioral health response, including a performance audit review, a date for when the tax collection will end and a data platform to show where the money is being spent efficiently and effectively with measurable results,” Morell said.

To ensure that the money is used well, the county simultaneously approved the creation of two new accountability groups Tuesday night. The first, the Accountable Care Organization, will oversee how federal Medicaid funding is spent in Pierce County. The council says that the Accountable Care Organization, or ACO, is the first of its kind in Washington state, and was first pitched to them by the Regional System of Care Committee as a way to improve behavioral health services across all of Pierce County.

“The ACO pilot plan allows for local engagement, ownership and governance, and for Pierce County to build a better healthcare system,” Morell said.

The second organization will be a new Behavioral Health Advisory Board, who will be tasked with creating a comprehensive behavioral health implementation plan.

Despite passing the county council, and meeting the required supermajority of votes necessary for all new tax hikes, the proposal is not law just yet. First, the ordinance will now be passed to Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, who will need to sign off on the plan. After that, it will need to be approved by the Washington state Health Care Authority, who will alert Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of their recommendation.

Once it clears those hurdles, the county finance director will have until April 15 to certify the tax, at which point it would go into effect across Pierce County. The tax will expire on Dec. 31, 2027 unless renewed by a future county council.