The Tacoma City Council has approved a 0.1% Criminal Justice Sales & Use Tax (also referred to as the Public Safety Sales Tax). This funding mechanism is designed to provide a stable, dedicated revenue stream to enhance community safety and support vital services without relying solely on the General Fund.
Uses for the revenue include:
- Holistic Public Safety: The revenue is dedicated exclusively to “criminal justice purposes,” which allows for a modern, balanced approach to safety. Details on what funding can be used for are available here.
- Preventing Service Cuts: As the City faces a projected budget deficit, these funds prevent deep cuts to essential safety services, supporting the maintenance of 911 response times and neighborhood patrols.
- Specialized Response: It provides the resources needed to send the right responder to the right call—such as mental health professionals for crisis intervention—freeing up police officers to focus on serious crime.
- Grant Eligibility: By meeting the regulatory requirements to implement this tax, the City remains competitive for state-level “HB 2015” grants, specifically designed to help cities hire and retain officers and co-responders.
The tax is estimated to generate approximately $7-$7.5 million annually. Effective April 1, 2026, Tacoma’s sales tax rate would move from the current 10.3 percent to 10.4 percent. For consumers, this represents an increase of 10 cents on a $100 purchase.
Details are available on the City’s website.