The newest plan to tackle mental health issues in King County could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.
King County Council members voted 6-0 on Wednesday in committee to put the proposal up for a full council vote as soon as next week. Council members were quick to mention the financial weight of the proposal..
"It's just a reality of any program that involved either capital or projected operating costs in the future because we're in a time of so much change for those costs and it's very hard to predict where they're going," Councilmember Claudia Balducci said.
The proposal is sponsored by three council members who said this could be a national model to address the mental health crisis.
"It is a staggering cost right now, and I think this will make a huge difference," Councilmember Sarah Perry said. "A staggering cost in not doing this."
The money would come from a nine-year property tax levy to raise a total of $1.25 billion. Sponsors say that would cost the owner of a median-valued home in Seattle $121 in 2024 or about $10 a month. According to Forbes, the median price for a home in Seattle in 2022 was $845,000.
The price tag for the proposal got mixed reviews from people headed into work Wednesday morning.
"It's high," said John Roberts, who owns a condo on Capitol Hill. "Everything's high right now. Everything's going up except my salary."
"$120 is pretty minimal when you think of the price of houses in the city," said Al Triplett, who lives in Queen Anne. "And the taxes that you pay already, it's a pretty small percentage."
The money would be used to:
- Build five regional crisis care centers with one dedicated to serving young people
- Maintain access to treatment beds, which have decreased since 2018
- Create career pathways and opportunities for higher education and training
- Provide immediate services while the centers are constructed
"It's definitely a problem," Roberts said. "Everybody who lives here knows it."
The final say would be up to voters.
If approved by the council, the levy would be on a special election ballot for voters in April.