On Monday, Walla Walla County Commissioners voted against a sales tax increase that would have raised $1.1 million annually for affordable housing and mental health programs.
The increase would have passed House Bill 1590a Washington state law that allows local governments to use sales taxes to combat the housing crisis. VAT would have increased by 0.1%. across the country, costing the average resident about $16 per year, according to estimates by the Walla Walla County Housing Council.
City and county governments have the authority to pass HB 1590 on their own. They can also put the decision before voters through a ballot measure. In Walla Walla County, commissioners chose the latter.
All of the commissioners said they wrestled with the decision and had sleepless nights not knowing what to do. District 1 Commissioner Jenny Mayberry described it as “probably one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made since I took office.”
Even during the meeting, she seemed torn. “I’m still pretty torn,” she said. “I know we need this, but I’m not just representing myself.”
The other two commissioners seemed more confident in their decision to ultimately put the measure to a vote. “I feel strongly that this needs to be put before everyone,” said District 3’s Gunner Fulmer. “I really believe it will pass,” added District 2’s Todd Kimball.
This was not the outcome that housing and mental health advocates had hoped for.
“We were very disappointed with the lack of leadership from the county commissioners,” said Danielle Garbe Reser, CEO of the nonprofit Blue Mountain Action Council“We are operating in a desert of mental health and affordable housing, and now with our hands tied.”
Garbe Reser said she and other leaders have been discussing this issue with the commissioners for over a year. “They are well informed about the problems in our communities,” she said. “And they have chosen not to take action themselves, but to put the problem on the back burner.”
Everett Maroon, CEO of Blue Mountain – Heart to Hearta public health organization, agreed.
“Why have we spent the last 15 months working with this group and demanding so much work, energy and answers to questions, only to then throw it all at the community?” he said. “It would have been entirely within their power and their authority to simply say, ‘Yes, this is a positive step forward for our community – let’s do it.'”
According to an initial estimate by Sam Jackle, the county’s homeless shelter coordinator, a vote on such a bill could cost $60,000, plus the cost of training. That amount could vary depending on when the bill is voted on.
In their presentationsSupporters of the measure said about a quarter of Walla Walla County residents suffer from severe cost burdens, meaning they spend more than half their income on housing. They also cited a shortage of mental health providers.
They said the money from HB 1590 could help build permanent assisted living and a dedicated mental health facility, as well as bring more providers to the area. The programs have helped families who earn 60% or less of the average family income in the regionThat’s about $54,000 a year.
The passage of HB 1590 would also have allowed the county to qualify for more grants from the state. “It’s not a magic law, but it’s a tool in the toolbox,” Garbe Reser said. “And we need all the tools at our disposal.”
Walla Walla County residents could see a ballot proposal for HB 1590 as early as next spring.
