FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Skagit County to Host Public Hearing on 0.1% Public Safety Sales Tax
The Skagit County Commissioners will host a public hearing on Tuesday, October 28th, at 3:30 p.m. on the proposed implementation of a 0.1% sales tax in Skagit County to be used for public safety programs and services. Washington State House Bill 2015 provides local governments with the ability to adopt a 0.1% sales tax to provide additional resources to improve public safety. The bill permits cities and counties to adopt the tax increase through approval by the local legislative body. In Skagit County, the legislative body is the Board of County Commissioners. If the tax is adopted, the increased tax burden would be $0.10 for every $100 spent in Skagit County.
The proposed ordinance adopting the .1% sales tax can be found on our website.
Interested citizens may join the public hearing in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, or via Zoom at the link on the Commissioners’ webpage. Written comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] with “Public Safety Sales Tax Comments” in the subject line, or by mail to 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 ATTN: Public Safety Sales Tax Comments. The deadline for written comments will be Tuesday, October 28th, at the conclusion of the public hearing.
The primary purpose of adopting the new sales tax increase would be to support public safety efforts in Skagit County, and to help balance the 2026 budget. The County Commissioners intend to primarily use the revenue to fund current public safety staff and services paid for by other revenue sources, which would help reduce the general fund budget expenditures. The Commissioners are additionally considering other uses for the revenue including new Sheriff detectives or crisis responders.
The Skagit County Commissioners recently concluded the annual series of budget work sessions to review and discuss 2026 budget requests. The Budget and Finance Department is now drafting the preliminary 2026 budget for public review. If 2025 levels of service and county programs are maintained for 2026, Skagit County will face a $19M deficit in the general fund. This deficit is primarily the result of increasing operating and salary costs paired with revenues that are either flat or increasing at a rate much slower than inflation, as well as the state and federal government increasing mandated county services.
After reviewing budget requests for 2026, the County Commissioners implemented an immediate 90-day hiring freeze to help stabilize current budget expenditures and reduce immediate costs as they develop the full preliminary 2026 budget. To decrease expenditures for 2026, the Commissioners will be reducing the workforce and looking at more efficient workflows and organizational structures to ensure mandated county services continue as required. The 90-day hiring freeze ensures the County does not fill positions which might need to be eliminated or reorganized to balance the budget.
The County Commissioners are considering all available options to help balance the general fund budget for 2026, including layoffs and furloughs, reprioritizing projects, reducing non-essential services, and evaluating new revenue opportunities such as the House Bill 2015 public safety sales tax.
For more details on the 2026 budget process, please visit the Skagit County Budget and Finance webpage. Questions or comments can be directed to the Commissioners’ office at [email protected] or 360-416-1300.
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