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HomeMy WebLinkAbout032 10 STATE OF W ASIDNGTON County of Jefferson IN THE MATrER OF CALLING ) FORAN ELECTION ON THE LEVY ) OF A COUNTY SPECIAL PURPOSE ) SALES AND USE TAX FOR PUBLIC ) SAFETY, YOUTH AND SENIOR SERVICES, ) COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND BASIC ) GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SERVICES ) RESOLUTION NO. 32-10 WHEREAS, Jefferson County has encountered a severe budget crisis due to long-t= financial issues that have been exacerbated by the deepest and longest-lasting recession since the Great Depression; and WHEREAS, costs to continue existing public services will exceed revenues by $900,000 in 2011, growing to a $1.7 million shortfall in 2015; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners has adopted a Strategic Plan for marshalling existing limited resources to place the County on a sustainable financial footing, gain efficiencies, strengthen l,tdmini.urative controls, focus service delivery, and promote economic development to manage through the current crisis; and WHEREAS, in the past 18 months, the Board of County Commissioners has already made $1.3 million in cost reductions, while attempting to maintain valuable public services; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners has entered into negotiations with all union bargaining units with a goal to constrain the growth of labor costs and lower future public service expenses; and WHEREAS, even with these measures, a gap remains between expenditures for existing services and available revenues that will require substantial cuts to public programs and levels of service that the County provides its citizens; and WHEREAS, before making all the cuts to public programs and levels of service necessary to balance expenditures to existing revenues, the Board of County Commissioners has determined the public should have a choice whether to save some services by authorizing new revenue; and WHEREAS, the 2003 Washington State Legislature noted that local governments are presented with significant challenges in funding criminaI justice and other services, and hence provided a legal means by which Counties could seek local revenues to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, codified as RCW 82.14.450 and amended by Engrossed Substitute House Bill 3179, enacted in 2010; and, WHEREAS, RCW 82.14.450 authorizes the Jefferson County legislative authority to submit a proposition to voters at a primary or general election that would authorize sales and use tax at the rate of three-tenths of one percent (0.3%) to be collected throughout Jefferson County; and, . WHEREAS, upon consultation with the independent elected officials of Jefferson County on July 28, 2010, it was determined that such a sales tax would be an appropriate option to fund retention and maintenance of some public services jeopardized by cuts; and Resolution No. 32-10: In The Matter Of Calling For An Election On The Levy Of A County Special Purpose Sales And Use Tax For Public Safety. Youth And Senior Services. Community Services. And Basic Government Public Services WHEREAS, under state law one-third of such revenue collected must be used for "criminal justice purposes," pursuant to RCW 82.14.450(4). Further, the remaining revenue collected would be used to improve other public services for the citizens of Jefferson County; and, WHEREAS, Washington State Law requires the revenue received under this proposal to be shared, with sixty percent (60%) being retained by the County and forty percent (40%) being retained and distributed to the County's one incorporated city, Port Townsend; and, WHEREAS, According to state law, this proposition must be approved by a majority of the persons voting at a primary or general election. The next general election is November 2, 2010; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County may conduct a county wide mail-in ballot only election; and, WHEREAS, if the voters approve this proposal on November 2, 2010, the additional sales and use tax will be collected beginning in April 2011 and the two jurisdictions will begin receiving revenue shortly thereafter; now therefore, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY as follows: 1. Jefferson County Resolution No. 31-10 is hereby repealed; and, 2. The Board of County Commissioners have determined that in order to present voters an option to reduce cuts to services and support vital public programs and services, the best interests of the citizens of Jefferson County require the submission to the qualified voters of the County of a proposition to authorize a sales and use tax at the rate of three-tenths of one percent (0.3%), to be levied beginning in 2011; and 3. The proposed sales aud use tax will generate approximately $637,000 per year of additional revenue to Jefferson County, which funds shall be used to fund to retain or provide the following programs and projects, or similar programs and projects within available funding: a. Sheriff's Office to retain one deputy sheriff position, one animal control officer, and safety training, at a cost of approximately $175,000; b. Prosecutor's Office to retain one half of a deputy prosecuting attorney responsible for property crime, domestic violence and Dill prosecutions, at a cost of approximately $37,500; c. Juvenile Services to retain one juvenile probation counselor and maintain support staff, to continue local restorative justice/community restitution program; continue support of the diversion program serving first time offenders; continue to provide intervention services to at-risk youth; and continue to provide pre-trial offender supervision services, at a cost of approximately $75,000; d. Other public safety programs to retain partial funding for criminal justice services, at a cost of approximately $19,000; e. Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) to retain operations of community centers and senior services in the Tri-Area, Quilcene, and Brinnon Community Centers, at a cost of approximately $126,000; f. Port Townsend Senior Center Association, to retain operations and senior services in Page2of4 Resolution No. 32-10; In The Matter Of Calling For An Election On The Le\l}' Of A County Special Porpose Sales And Use Tax For Public Safety. youtb And Seoior Services, Community Services. And Basic Governmeot Public Services the Port Townsend Community Center, at a cost of approximately $12,500; Gardiner Community Center, to retain operations of the Gardiner Community Center, at a cost of approximately $2,800 g. Jefferson County Fair, to retain County support for continuation of an annual Jefferson County Fair, at a cost of approximately $4,500; h. WSU Cooperative Extension, including funding for afterschool programs for youth, at a cost of approximately $20,000; i. Public Health, to retain a Maternal Child Health Nurse home visits to prenatal women and families with newborns, child abuse prevention visits and education to families, at a cost of approximately $50,000; j. Public Health to retain substance abuse recovery programs in Port Townsend, Chimacum and Quilcene middle schools as a best-practice-researched program that involves parents, teachers and students to decrease early substance use, at a cost of approximately $46,600; k. Jefferson County Conservation District, to retain County support for the District's programs in agriculture, water quality, forestry, fish & wildlife habitat, and education, at a cost of approximately $45,600; 1. Core County services, to retain partial funding for basic County operations, at a cost of approximately $22,500; and, 4. The proposed sales and use tax will also generate approximately $425,000 per year of additional revenue to the City of Port Townsend, one-third of which funds shall be used to fund City public safety programs, and the rlrmllining revenue would be used for other City services; and the County intends to enter into an interloca1 agreement with the City whereby a portion of the City's share would be dedicated for up to four years to Memorial Field and the Port Townsend Recreation Center to support and restore their operation and maintenance, restore youth afterschool programs, and provide capital funds for repairs and improvements; and, 5. IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that a county wide mail-in ballot only election be held on November 2, 2010, for the purpose of submitting to the affected voters the determination of whether or not to anthorize a sales and use tax at the rate of three-tenths of one percent (0.3%), to be levied beginning in 2011 and the proceeds to be shared by the County and City therein for the aforementioned purposes; and, Page 3 of4 Resolution No. 32-10; fu The Matter Of Calling For An Election On The Levy Of A County Special Purpose Sales And Use Tax For Public Safety, Youth And Senior Services, Conununity Services, And Basic Government Public Services 6. IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Jefferson County Auditor is hereby requested to place a proposition on the November 2,2010 ballot in substantially the following form: JEFFERSON COUNTY PROPosmON NO.1 LOCAL SALES AND USE TAX FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, YOm AND SENIOR SERVICES, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND BASIC GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SERVICES ~a-Jo The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution Q lailH, to place before the qualified voters of Jefferson County the question of whether the sales and use tax in Jefferson County should be increased three-tenths of one percent (0.3%), equal to thirty cents tax on a one-hundred-dollar purchase. If approved, Proposition #1 would dedicate revenue to maintain certain sheriff, prosecutor, other public safety services, youth programs, juvenile services, senior services, community centers, public health and basic government services. By law Port Townsend would receive 40% of the revenue. The City would use it for similar purposes including an agreement to dedicate a portion to support county parks and recreation for up to four years. At least one-third (113) of all revenue must be allocated for public safety purposes. Should this proposition be: Approved Rejected . APPROJlEDthis 10th day ofAugust,2010. Approved as to form only: o tJ,cJJ() JEFFERSON COUNTY aJ SEAL: BOARD OF COMMISSIO~on Co. Prosecuto s Office dJ~ dcYU1A-~ M~ LomaDelaney, CMC Clerk of the Board David Sullivan, Chairman ~11 Member Page4of4