April 25, 2023 King County Ballot: Crisis Care Centers Levy

King County Executive Dow Constantine and a regional coalition of leaders announced a plan in September 2022 to address the behavioral health crisis by creating a countywide network of five crisis care centers, investing in the recruitment and retention of the community behavioral health workforce, and restoring the number of residential treatment beds in the region. 

The plan would be funded by a nine-year property tax levy to treat immediate crisis and support long-term recovery and wellbeing.

In January of this year, the levy was approved by the King County Council to be submitted to voters for approval in April 2023.

“We must do more to deliver the behavioral health care people need, when they need it, especially in a moment of crisis. 

"Today, we are telling the thousands of King County residents in behavioral health crisis, their families, and our communities – help is on the way,” said Executive Dow Constantine. 

“The behavioral health system in this state has long been underfunded and underappreciated. The pandemic added further stress, and need is increasing even as we lose both treatment beds and qualified workers. 

"Now, we can chart a path forward as a region – to create places where people can receive the effective care they need and begin their journey to recovery. This is an opportunity to make the generational investment our region needs.”

The proposal is estimated to cost the owner of a median-value home about $121 in 2024. The levy would continue through 2032, generating a total of $1.25 billion to stabilize and strengthen King County’s behavioral health crisis care system.

Financial impact for homeowners: John Wilson, King county assessor, has a tool to let individual property owners see the specific financial impact of levies. See it here to compute the financial impact of this specific levy.

The full web version of Constantine's statement is here

Ballots for the levy are now arriving in local mailboxes, along with a local voters' pamphlet. Besides the Executive and County Council, the levy is endorsed by Seattle Metropolitan Chamber, MLK Labor Council, and SEIU 1199NW. The opposing statement is written by Tim Eyman, Jim Coombes, and Suzie Burke.

The Seattle Channel has a forum on the levy which can be viewed here.

For questions about this measure contact Dan Floyd, Deputy Director, King County Behavioural Health and Recovery Division, 206-263-8961, Daniel-DCHS.Floyd@kingcounty.gov