Today City Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) celebrated the 8-1 passage of CB 121083 which will enable dedicating up to 25% of the Mayor’s Legislature-approved public safety sales tax to critical addiction treatment services and recovery-based supports. The new 0.1% increase is expected to generate $39 million for public safety in 2026, with $7.5 million of those funds going directly towards a variety of recovery services.   

“Today, recovery wins! These progressive investments will save lives and fill gaping holes in our response to Seattle’s drug crisis. I’ve led the charge to put addiction treatment at the center of the city’s agenda because the fentanyl epidemic and addiction are root causes of our public safety and chronic homelessness challenges,” said Council President Nelson. “Investing this new revenue in recovery services isn’t just a fiscally responsible decision—it is fundamentally the morally right thing to do. Thank you to the mayor’s office, my colleagues, and the frontline community organizations for their critical support in making this a reality.”

While the revenue can be spent on any public safety items, the Mayor’s spending proposal adopts many of the Council President’s priorities, including:

• Expanding access to on-demand residential and intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment and maintaining the funding model of the existing pilot project. 
• Enhancing access to recovery housing and recovery-based services within existing low-barrier permanent supportive housing through mobile outreach. 
• Innovative approaches to addressing stimulant use disorder and expanding the provision of long-lasting buprenorphine injections, a clinically proven approach to managing opioid dependence. 
• Stabilizing diversion services such as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)
• Funding capital investments to support the facilities where treatment services are provided, including physical improvements to existing clinics. Specifically, the Thunderbird Treatment Center on Vashon Island.   

Background

Council President Nelson proposed the 25% allocation for critical addiction services early this year. A resolution stating the intent to follow her proposal was later approved by the Council in July.

The 2025 State Legislature authorized local jurisdictions to increase the local sales and use tax by one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) for public safety programs with the passage of House Bill 2015, sponsored by Rep. Debra Entenman (D-Kent/Auburn) and advanced by the Washington State Legislative Black Caucus (WSLBC). In 2024 alone, 568 overdose deaths occurred in the city. At the same time, rising service costs and declining federal support due to the Trump Administration are putting core programs at risk. 

What’s next

The bill now goes to the Mayor for his signature. The state Department of Revenue mandated that the tax must be approved by a jurisdiction before Oct. 18 in order to be eligible for the full amount of revenue in 2026.

Additional quotes

“A strong public safety framework requires balanced investments in crime prevention, behavioral health supports, and effective diversion, as well as traditional enforcement and prosecution. We’re grateful for the Council’s endorsement of the public safety sales tax plan which reflects this balance, including stabilization of LEAD funding so Seattle can continue to operate an evidence-based pre-booking diversion framework citywide for people whose law violations stem from substance use disorder, mental health issues or extreme poverty. In particular, we’re grateful to Council President Nelson for insisting that effective responses to substance use disorder be a central priority for this funding stream, and to Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle for his consistent championing of an integrated public safety system, as well as to Mayor Harrell for proposing a well-balanced public safety investment package for the inaugural public safety sales tax.” – Lisa Daugaard, Co-Executive Director, Purpose Dignity Action

“With the federal government abandoning our vulnerable neighbors we need to strengthen and dedicate local resources to assist our communities. I am grateful to Council President Nelson and Mayor Harrell for their leadership, and for securing and guiding these needed investments at the intersection of public health and safety.” – Steve Woolworth, Chief Executive Officer at Evergreen Treatment Services

“Recognizing that public safety is achieved through a range of actions, including greater availability of treatment for substance use disorder, is essential. This measure will bring effective opioid treatment to more vulnerable people in Seattle, building on improvements in treatment over the last year. Thank you to the Council, and Council President Nelson’s leadership on this, for ensuring that treatment services are being included in the Seattle public safety approach.” – Daniel Malone, Executive Director at DESC 

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