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Counties weigh sales tax hike for mental health

The Columbian
Published: March 22, 2011, 12:00am

KENNWICK, Wash. (AP) — Benton and Franklin commissioners are weighing whether to increase local sales tax to pay for mental health services.

Human Services Administrator Ed Thornbrugh told commissioners Monday that increasing sales tax by $1 for every $1000 spent would raise $3.7 million a year. He says it could help pay for a new crisis center and a mental health court that diverts people into treatment rather than jail.

The Tri-City Herald says state law allows county commissioners to raise local sales tax by 0.1 percent to pay for mental health programs without approval from voters. But commissioners have been reluctant to do so, because voters in both counties have rejected similar tax increases to pay for criminal justice programs.

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Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com

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