Council discusses HB 2015 public-safety sales tax and CJTC grant eligibility; staff to return with formal proposal
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Summary
Council received a briefing on HB 2015's public-safety funding options and the CJTC competitive grant program; staff said Duval can apply for grant money now but would have to adopt a local 0.1% public-safety sales tax separately to receive local sales-tax revenue.
City Administrator Cynthia McNabb briefed the Duval City Council on draft ordinance language to implement local options created by the state's HB 2015 public-safety funding package and the companion Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) grant program. McNabb said the city attorney reviewed a draft modeled on King County's ordinance and that the council would have an opportunity to consider a local sales-tax ordinance in October.
McNabb and staff clarified two separate components: (1) the newly authorized 0.1% public-safety sales-tax opt-in that municipalities may adopt to raise additional local public-safety revenue; and (2) a CJTC-administered competitive grant program funded by state set-asides for training and certain public-safety programs. Staff said Duval is eligible to apply for CJTC grant funding under the current statewide framework and that King County's already-adopted public-safety sales tax does not "flow down" to the city; the city would only receive revenue directly if it separately adopted the 0.1% local sales tax.
Council and staff discussed practical and fiscal tradeoffs. McNabb cautioned that cumulative sales-tax increases (several incremental 0.1% increments in the region) can push local combined sales-tax rates into a higher band and that sales-tax revenue will vary with consumer spending; she also noted the CJTC grant has restrictions (funds are generally for new hires, training and certain programs, not for existing salary obligations). Council members asked for additional analysis on long-term revenue, potential uses for grant dollars and whether a portion of any new local revenue could be set aside to mitigate impacts on lower-income residents.
No final ordinance or tax adoption occurred; staff will bring a formal agenda bill and a draft ordinance for council consideration in October and will confirm legal interpretations and grant scoring expectations with the city attorney prior to that meeting.