By Monday, King County’s Crisis Care Centers levy was passing with about 57% of the vote. Supporters appropriately declared victory.
Now, actions should observe phrases.
Residents ought to commend themselves for his or her generosity. In these occasions of excessive grocery, gasoline and housing costs, elevating regional property taxes is not any small factor. The Instances editorial board supported the measure, however famous its excessive price ticket and considerations that specializing in a disaster response might come on the expense of funding extra everlasting options for these with extreme behavioral well being points. This was a spot to begin.
The levy is predicted to boost $1.25 billion over 9 years, rising property taxes by a charge of 14.5 cents per $1,000 of a house’s assessed worth. Throughout King County, a house owner with a property valued on the median of $694,000 would pay about $121 extra yearly in taxes.
Let this editorial function a time capsule to be opened when the levy expires in 2032.
That is what voters have been anticipating: 5 new disaster care facilities in King County, as promised. Not two. Not three. No excuses that building prices have been larger than anticipated, or it was robust to get permits or communities have been much less welcoming than boosters anticipated them to be.
Overpromising and under-delivering on public tasks is the established order (see Sound Transit and local homelessness efforts). The centerpiece of the Disaster Care Facilities levy was disaster care facilities. 5 of them.
The levy’s pledge to protect and restore residential therapy beds was somewhat squishier, so let’s be clear. King County stated it might create about 100 beds to get again to 2018 ranges, when there have been 355 beds offering community-based residential look after folks with psychological well being wants. That was what King County Government Dow Constantine and different politicians stated they’d do with the cash taxpayers handed them. So do it.
The levy additionally stated it might enhance profession alternatives for behavioral care staff. There have to be demonstrable will increase not solely in wages, however retention as effectively.
And, in 2032, when this new levy is up for its first renewal, whoever is in workplace at the moment ought to be aware: Please don’t double or triple property taxes and say it’s needed to perform the belongings you or your predecessors promised to do in 2023. Simply don’t.
Good intentions are low-cost and plentiful. Within the afterglow of the Disaster Care Facilities levy victory on the poll field, let there be little question: True success comes not in getting a measure handed, however in fulfilling guarantees made — no excuses and no equivocations.
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