That’s what interim King County Executive Kurt Triplett is proposing – a one-tenth of one-cent increase – though he says that still wouldn’t hold off all potential cuts. He’s asking the County Council to send it to voters in November. Read on for the full news release just sent by the county:

As the national recession and cuts in state and federal funding to
counties continue to erode King County’s revenues, County Executive Kurt
Triplett today proposed a one-tenth of a cent sales tax dedicated to
help fund public health, criminal justice and human services.

The Executive says the Healthy, Safe and Strong Communities tax will
give residents an alternative to the deep cuts he will make to balance
the county’s 2010 budget. The international economic crisis, a cap on
property taxes at less than the rate of inflation, state limits on
county revenue sources and the cost of serving urban areas of
unincorporated King County have created a structural deficit so that the
county cannot support existing services.

Despite $93.4 million in cuts, efficiencies, unpaid employee furloughs
and benefit reductions in the 2009 budget, King County estimates
revenues will be at least $50 million less than needed to continue
current services in 2010. The structural deficit is projected at
another estimated $60 million in 2011, meaning the only way to balance
the budget will draconian cuts to human services, public health clinics
and local parks.

“After three years of major cuts, I have no options other than
devastating cuts that will profoundly change services to the people of
this county,” said Triplett. “My budget will be what the county can
afford. The question to the council and voters will be ‘Is this the
county you want?'”

Health services that prevent the spread of disease, clinics for people
without insurance, the safety net of services for the region’s most
vulnerable residents, programs that reduce crime and criminal justice
costs, local parks and animal care and control are all facing deep cuts.

“I know that a tax increase will be a difficult choice for voters who
are struggling during these tough economic times, but we need to offer
residents a choice and a chance to keep services that help keep us
healthy, safe and strong,” said Triplett. “I believe residents and
county council members will agree that the cuts I am forced to propose
in my budget are too harmful to the region’s quality of life. But I’m
not asking council to support a tax. I’m asking the council to let the
voters decide.”

Unlike wastewater and solid waste services that are funded by customer
fees, public health, human services and criminal justice agencies must
compete for the same general fund tax dollars. If approved, the
Healthy, Safe and Strong Communities initiative would dedicate specific
taxes to these services and make them less dependent on the general
fund.

Sending the tax measure to the council before the Executive proposes his
2010 budget allows time for the council to meet a mid-August deadline to
put a measure on the November 3 ballot. Triplett will deliver his
proposed 2010 budget to the council by Sept. 27. The council will vote
on a final budget at the end of November.

If approved by voters, state law requires that 40 percent of the amount
collected be distributed to the 39 cities in King County. The proposed
one-tenth of a percent sales tax is expected to generate approximately
$17.8 million for the county in 2010 and $11.8 million for cities in
King County. That amount would grow to more than $32 million by 2016 for
King County and $21.8 million for cities.

That is enough money for King County to sufficiently fund human services
at today’s level, operate three to five public health clinics, support
pandemic flu preparedness and response, and fund the Sheriff’s
helicopter, marine unit, bomb squad and other criminal justice programs.
However, even if voters approve the new dedicated tax, cuts will still
have to be made to some health, human and criminal justice services.

A December 2007 state report to the Governor and Legislature said that
state laws have created structural deficits in counties across the state
and recommends changes to give counties more flexible and reliable
funding options, including a utility tax, and reimbursement for unfunded
state mandates. State law limits the types of taxes counties can levy,
limits how it spends existing taxes, and a voter-approved initiative
caps growth in the property tax at one percent per year, which is less
than the rate of inflation.

Among measures taken since 2002 to reduce costs and increase
efficiencies, the county:

* Consolidated executive branch departments to seven from 14,
saving millions in administrative and overhead costs
* Developed a parks business plan, which led to the approval of a
property tax levy and private sector partnerships resulting in a $17
million annual savings to the general fund
* Eliminated the Office of Cultural Resources and created
4Culture, a Public Development Authority, resulting in a $1.1 million
annual savings
* Instituted annual rent payments to Cedar Hills Landfill,
generating over $7 million annually
* Realized nearly $50 million in reductions and new revenues for
the county’s criminal justice system
* Reduced health and human service program funding by $12.2
* Lowered employee costs by $8.4 million through renegotiated
benefits

In addition to cuts to public health, human and criminal justice
services, Executive Triplett is working to balance the 2010 budget
through the following actions:

* Seeking additional contributions from labor similar to the
savings achieved with ten unpaid furlough days in 2009. Productive
discussions are underway with union leadership

* Redirecting $10-13 million of the Mental Illness and Drug
Dependency Sales Tax (MIDD) to save mental health court and related
services

* Reducing overhead, internal services and general government by
more than $10 million including a 10 percent cut in the Executive’s
Office, Office of Management and Budget and Office of Strategic Planning
and Performance Management