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Seattle sees police hiring surge 500% after sweetening the deal for recruits
The Seattle Police Department is seeing recruitment efforts improve as it hired 500% more officers in the first four months of 2025 than the same time span last year.
The city has hired 60 officers through April 2025. Last year, the police department managed to only hire 10 at this point in 2024.
According to a press release from Mayor Bruce Harrell, the 60 hires are more than in the last three years at this point combined. If the trend continues, the city expects to hire over 150 officers in 2025.
The number of applications the Seattle Police Department has received shows promise in that trend continuing as there have been 1,218 officer applications through the first quarter of 2025, compared to 690 through April 2024.
“Our work to modernize recruiting and increase qualified applications is showing results through record hiring in 2025 – putting us on a path to restore Seattle Police Department staffing,” Harrell said in a statement.
Sound Transit ridership still below pre-pandemic levels despite new services
By
Although it has been several years since the state-imposed lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 virus in Washington state, Sound Transit’s ridership and revenue have remained below pre-pandemic levels despite the expansion of services since then.
John Hay Elementary School's Rock Paper Scissors Tournament was a huge success! On April 25, students from all grades came together to compete in their third annual tournament. They had food and games, and competition and fun. Ultimately, Makai the kindergartener (right) was named as the champion. Anna and Agastya were the runner-ups. Brooke Johnson is the parent volunteer that created the event and she says it is her favorite event of the year. "I wanted to create a competition that was inclusive to all children, and brought our community together to have fun. We have achieved that and so much more!" she said. She is hoping to continue the tradition in future years and welcome other local schools to participate.
One transit expert attributes that in part on a shift toward remote work, as other metro transit systems in the country are also suffering from decreased ridership numbers, while Sound Transit notes boarding levels for some of its services have since recovered.
“Transit run the same routes they ran 100 years ago,” Randal O’Toole told The Center Square.
O’Toole is a Cato Institute senior fellow working on urban growth, public land, and transportation issues.
“When we build light rail, we build lines that all focus on downtown," he said. "That’s fine, 100 years ago when all the jobs were downtown. They’re not downtown [anymore].”
Prior to the 2020-2021 lockdowns, Sound Transit ridership increased year-over-year between 1999 and 2018, when annual boardings increased from a few million in 1999 to 47.3 million in 2018. O’Toole says much of that
By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
TJ Martinell The Center Square
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Sunday Services 11:00am – 12noon Pacific
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Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons
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Savvy Senior: Strategies for paying off credit card debt
by Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I, who are retired, have accumulated about $7,000 in credit card debt over the past few years and need some help paying it off. What can you tell us?
Living Underwater
Dear Living, I’m sorry to hear about your financial woes but know that you’re not alone. Credit card debt has become a big problem in this country for millions of older Americans. According to a recent AARP report, 52 percent of adults ages 50 to 64 have credit card debt, along with 42 percent of those ages 65 to 74. Rising costs of basic expenses like food, housing, utilities and health care are the main culprits. But now, new tariffs on products made in China and other foreign countries will make many goods more expensive, which could make this problem worse. Of older adults carrying a balance, nearly half owe $5,000 or
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more, and nearly a third owe upwards of $10,000. While paying off credit card debt can feel overwhelming, it’s doable with a solid plan and a bit of belttightening and persistence. Here are some strategies to help you tackle it:
CREATE A BUDGET
Start by taking a close look at your income and expenses to see where you can free up money to put toward your credit card debt. Also look for areas to reduce spending, such as
the growth was “because of migration to downtown” for new jobs at Amazon and other companies as Seattle experienced a tech boom.
However, in 2020 during the lockdowns, ridership fell to 15.5 million, a 67% decrease in boardings. Consequently, fare revenue also plunged from $96.9 million in 2019 to just $30.6 million in 2020, a 68% decrease.
However, from there ridership and fare revenues experienced separate trends. Although ridership increased slightly in 2021 to 17.4 million, fares actually decreased to $28.1 million. While both ridership and revenue increased in 2022, they did so at separate rates; ridership jumped by 83% compared to 2021, while fare revenue increased by just 60%.
According to Sound Transit’s 2022 fare revenue report “in past years, ridership and fare revenue were closely linked, with similar increases or decreases. The main cause of the difference is lower fare payment compliance – particularly on Link light rail – when compared to pre-pandemic levels.”
Sound Transit Media Relations Manager John Gallagher wrote in an email to The Center Square that the agency’s board “has made farebox recovering a priority, which is why we established our fare ambassador program to check fares onboard. Fare checking was suspended during the pandemic, and we recognized the need to re-establish the importance of paying to ride. We have continued to expand the fare ambassador program so that riders will be reminded of the expectation that they should pay and will do so.”
Ridership as of 2023 had increased to 37.3 million, while revenue has increased to $51.8 million. While that represents a recovery for both compared to 2020-2021, they are below 2019’s 46.9 million boardings and $96.9 million in fare revenue. That puts ridership 20% below 2019, while fare revenue generated is 47% below 2019.
O’Toole attributes this to the fact that many workers never returned to their workplace and continue to work remotely. While the percentage of employees working remotely isn’t as high as it
dining out, entertainment or subscriptions. And see if you’re eligible for any financial assistance programs (see BenefitsCheckUp.org) that can help boost your budget by paying for things like food, utilities, medicine and health care.
CALL THE CARD COMPANY
While the average creditcard interest rate is more than 20 percent, some credit card companies may be willing to lower your interest rate or work out a payment
plan, especially if you’re struggling. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
PAY MORE THAN THE MINIMUM
Credit card companies only require the minimum payment, but it’s usually mostly interest. Try to pay more than the minimum every month to make a dent in the principal balance.
CHOOSE A REPAYMENT STRATEGY
If you have more than one credit card, pick one and get
was during the pandemic, “it’s still going to stay a lot higher than 5%,” which was the pre-pandemic amount.
“Instead of having transit system that respond to economic changes, transit agencies try and force economic changes on people so that people’s lifestyles fit the transit system’s they’ve designed, rather than designing transit system to fit people’s lifestyles,” he said.
The lower ridership and fares compared to pre-pandemic levels comes despite the expansion of Sound Transit services. In 2023, the regional transit agency extended the T Line by 2.4 miles to the Stadium District and the Hilltop area.
Last year, the agency opened the initial segment of a Link 2 Line light rail service between Bellevue and Redmond as part of the East Link Extension. In August, the Lynnwood Link Extension opened, adding 8.5 miles of light rail line and four stations.
When asked about current annual boarding volumes, Gallagher wrote in an email that “ridership varies across different modes,” noting that Sounder and ST Express are “more heavily dependent on a commuter riders, and as such have been slower to recover as the return-to-office has been slower.”
He also noted that Link ridership overall is now above 2019 levels “which tells us that people are using Link to get around not just to work, but more generally to events and day-to-day activities.”
“Overall, we continue to see steady growth in ridership,” he added.
When it comes to recovery since the pandemic, Sound Transit’s faring better than other major transit systems nationwide. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City in 2019 had 2.4 billion total boardings on its subways and buses. As of 2023, that figure had fallen to 1.57 billion. In 2023, the Chicago Transit Authority had 279 million passenger trips compared to 455.7 million trips in 2019.
One system that has rebounded as well as Sound Transit is the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which had 284.9 million annual boardings on its bus and rail services, compared to 347.7 million in 2019.
Yet, O’Toole argues that “transit agencies
serious about paying it off. Start with the card that carries the highest interest rate, or the one with the smallest balance.
If you focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate first, you’ll pay less interest over time, saving yourself a lot of money. Once the highest-interest card is paid off, move to the next highest, and so on. Or you may want to start with the card with the smallest balance. Paying off smaller debts quickly can give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to keep going.
CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBT
If you have multiple high-interest cards, look into consolidating your debt with a low-interest personal loan from your bank or credit union. Or consider moving your debts to a balance transfer credit card with 0 percent interest for an introductory period, which is usually 15, 18 or 21 months. This will eliminate the amount of interest you’re paying temporarily. But be careful! Once the
weren’t working for people before the pandemic for people who don’t work downtown. Sound Transit was building a transit system that didn’t work for 95% of workers that worked anywhere other than downtown. It’s really inexcusable that we’re spending all of this money subsidizing transit ... that basically serves only downtown workers.”
The problem with making reforms, O’Toole says, is that transit funding models aren’t dependent on having riders. For example, Sound Transit’s fare revenue makes up just 2% of its annual budget compared to 63% coming from local tax sources.
“Right now, transit agencies are trying to figure out how to work the political system to extort taxpayer money to keep operating higher levels despite lower ridership,” O’Toole said. “Transit riders contribution to transit agency budgets have become so small. They really don’t care about the riders anymore.”
While Sound Transit didn't comment on any plans it has to increase ridership beyond 2019 levels or how it might impact future projects, Kevin Wallace told The Center Square that ridership data should give the agency’s board members pause.
Wallace is the president of Bellevue-based property developer Wallace Properties and was involved with negotiations with Sound Transit on the East Link connection while serving on the Bellevue City Council.
“We put all these eggs in this basket,” he said. “It’s important that it functions.”
He added that if ridership demand isn't high enough, “it’s time for a rethink of ST3 that hasn’t been built. How can you expect it [light rail] to work in the low-density areas like Issaquah and Everett?
“This whole thing is so political,” he said. “We made the infrastructure investments. What’s unfortunate now is what we invested in, is proving to not be as viable as we once thought. That’s the question for everybody, especially the electeds [Sound Transit Board of Directors]: Why is nobody changing course and instead pushing to go into areas where we know it will be even less effective?”
introductory promotion ends, the card company will charge interest on any remaining balance.
CONSIDER A DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN
If you need more help, use a nonprofit credit counseling agency (see NFCC. org) to create a debt management plan for you. At no cost, a counselor will go over your income and debts and determine what’s workable. The counselor will then negotiate with your lenders, to get a payment plan that will lower your interest and monthly payments and maybe forgive some debt.
If you accept their negotiated offer, you’ll start making one monthly payment to the counseling service, which will in turn pay the issuers. You’ll likely pay the agency a small fee and give up the cards included in the plan, but over time you’ll be able to pay off your debt.
Send your questions or comments to questions@ savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
POLICE
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The Center Square previously reported on Seattle Police Department staffing levels reaching its lowest levels in some 30 years in March 2024. However, a turnover of city council members saw a higher prioritization of police staffing and a slew of legislation to the effect.
In 2024, the Seattle City Council ultimately approved a maximum hiring bonus of $50,000 to lateral hires and $7,500 for new recruits, agreed to a new police contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild that raises wages for rank-and-file officers, reduced hiring wait time to three to five months, and increased the department’s advertising budget to $2.5 million in 2025 to reach more potential recruits.
“After passing more than a dozen public safety bills last year, I am pleased to see the impacts we as a city are having that can help make residents feel safe,” said Seattle City Councilmember and Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle.
Pay for new recruits starts at $103,000 a year. Lateral transfers see base salaries start at $116,000. The median household income in Seattle is approximately $122,000, according to U.S. Census data.
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Seattle Ice Cream Cruise returns
The beloved Seattle Ice Cream Cruise is returning this year.
Seattle Water Tours is welcoming guests to the cruise’s new location at Fisherman’s Terminal. After taking last year off to find a new home, the Ice Cream Cruise is once again taking out of town visitors and local residents on a narrated tour of fascinating local waterways — and tempting them with ice cream.
The Ice Cream Cruise continues Sundays through Oct. 19. First sailing at 11 a.m.
“We’re excited to welcome everyone back to experience Seattle from the water — with ice cream in hand,” said Captain Mike Luis. “It’s a perfect outing for families, visitors and anyone looking for a fun, affordable, and truly unique way to see the city."
The Ice Cream Cruise is a 45-minute narrated tour of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Lake Union on Sundays.
For over 20 years the Ice Cream Cruise has delighted guests with a unique perspective on our city.
“And, as always,” Luis noted, “we are dog friendly, so bring along your furry companions!”
The Ice Cream Cruise departs Sundays only on the hour from Dock 9 at Fisherman’s Terminal, just south of the Ballard Bridge in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood (3919 18th Ave West). Plenty of free parking and lots of things to do before and after the cruise. For schedules, ticketing and further information, go to www.seattlewatertours.com/ ice-cream-cruise.
“We want to thank the Port of Seattle, and our friends in the commercial fishing fleet, for welcoming the Ice Cream Cruise to Fisherman’s Terminal,” said Luis. “We know our guests will enjoy visiting this active and dynamic fishing port.”
Grilling season is back with burgers
By MetroCreative
Grilling season has returned, and that means cooking up some burgers at your next backyard barbecue. This year, try a new take on this beloved summer staple with the following recipe for "Best Burger With Blue Cheese Butter" courtesy of Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath's "Grilling" (DK Publishing).
BEST BURGER WITH BLUE CHEESE BUTTER
Serves 4
■ 1 pound ground chuck steak
■ 2 teaspoons salt
■ 1 teaspoon black pepper
■ 4 1/2-inch slices blue cheese butter (see box)
■ 4 sesame hamburger buns, halved
Combine ground steak with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal-sized pieces and gently shape into 4 burgers about 1-inch-thick. Grill burgers and warm buns according to instructions below. Top burgers with butter and serve hot in sesame buns.
OUTDOOR COOKING: Grill over hot coals for 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 minutes per side for medium rare, or 5 minutes per side for well done. Place buns cut side down on grill until warm and lightly golden, 1 minute. Indoor cooking: Preheat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Cook for 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 minutes per side for medium rare, or 5 minutes per side for well done.
Place buns cut side down on grill pan until warm lightly golden, 1 minute
BEST BURGER VARIATIONS
* Herbed Burger: Add 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion to the ground steak.
* Spicy Burger: Add 1/2 teaspoon tabasco, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Tapped out: Proposed beer taxes could leave WA breweries at breaking point
By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
A bill introduced in the Washington State House of Representatives earlier this month would increase taxes on breweries across the state, potentially pushing many beer production facilities to the brink as lawmakers seek to raise revenue for the state’s projected $16 billion, four-year operating budget shortfall.
Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Seattle, and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, are the sponsors of House Bill 2079, which would, among other things, raise the tax on beer.
The bill also includes a section to allow the tax to take effect sooner rather than later: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2025."
HB 2079 would impose tax increases on wine and cider as well. When it comes to beer, breweries face three distinct tax increases.
One provision would double the base beer barrel tax from $2 to $4 per barrel.
Then another tax rate of $9.56 per barrel would be imposed on breweries with over 60,000 barrels.
and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to the ground steak.
THINK AHEAD:
Shape burgers up to 1 day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Cooks' Note: Overhandling the meat when shaping will result in a tough, dry burger. To guarantee a juicy burger, handle the meat as little as possible.
PC125095
BLUE-CHEESE BUTTER
Makes 15 servings
■ 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
■ 4 ounces (1 cup crumbled) blue cheese
■ 2 teaspoons black pepper
Place ingredients in a food processor or blender; pulse until well blended. Wrap in foil. Place in the freezer until hard, about 45 minutes. To serve, roll back foil and cut into 1/2-inch slices. When slicing from frozen, warm the knife under hot water first. After slicing, always tightly rewrap the unused flavored butter roll in the foil before returning to refrigerator or freezer.
Rather than go to the general fund, 20% of revenue would go to counties and 80% to cities.
The total tax burden for large breweries with over 60,000 barrels totals $16.16 per barrel, while smaller breweries would see a total tax of approximately $8 per barrel.
Washington Brewers Guild Executive Director Daniel Olson warns that HB 2079 becoming law would significantly strain brewery operations across the state by raising the cost of doing business at a time when small breweries are already facing rising expenses from inflation and tariffs.
“Many breweries operate on razor thin margins, and an excise tax increase would force difficult decisions: raising prices, reducing staff, cutting back on innovation, or in some cases, closing altogether,” Olson told The Center Square in an email. Beer drinkers would also see immediate price increases at taprooms, restaurants, and retail stores, according to Olson. Olson added that the excise increase would also stifle new brewery setups and make Washington less competitive compared to other Pacific Northwest states.
Smaller breweries would pay a slightly reduced rate of $1.43 per barrel, down from $1.48.
The beer tax revenue from these breweries would go toward the state’s general fund.
Breweries would see one more additional tax, with a rate of $1.3 per barrel. This tax is not tiered or exempted for small breweries.
Oregon’s existing tax on beer is $2.60 per barrel, which is one of the lowest rates in the U.S. By comparison, large breweries in Washington would pay more than six times that amount if the bill passes. Notably, a proposed Oregon House bill would require the state to study further taxation of beer and wine in the state. Davis and Fitzgibbon did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comments on the bill.
Seattle braces for further fallout from sweeping federal health agency cuts
By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
Seattle leaders are preparing for more potential impacts related to continuing cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that have already seen several hundred Seattle-based workers laid off.
The administration of President Donald Trump is exploring the consolidation of several Health and Human Services agencies and creating at least three new divisions, including the “Administration for a
Healthy America.” According to the presentation to the Seattle Housing and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, 10 of the 28 current divisions are to be cut or consolidated. On April 1, the administration began making cuts at U.S. Health and Human Services in order to consolidate several agencies such as the Food & Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health.
Upwards of
Staff Report
The Seattle Ice Cream Cruise continues Sundays through Oct. 19. First sailing at 11 a.m.
COURTESY
Seattle’s parking revenue slips nearly $9M amid rate drops, stalled demand
By Spencer Pauley
Center Square
Seattle is expected to lose nearly $9 million in parking meter revenue by 2026, as demand plateaus and hourly rates drop for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parking meter revenue drop is part of a larger $241.5 million shortfall projected for the city’s general fund through 2026, excluding grants and transfers.
Parking meter revenue is projected to fall $2.7 million short in 2025 and $5.9 million short in 2026. This decrease is under the Seattle Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s pessimistic forecast, which the city council considered more likely than its baseline forecast due to global economic uncertainty.
Dave Hennes with the Seattle City Budget Office explained that there is a combination of two factors driving the decrease in onstreet parking revenues.
“The first is that for the first time since the pandemic there was an overall decrease in parking rates (i.e. more areas warranted a decrease in rates than an increase in rates),” Hennes said to The Center Square in an email.
The latest street parking rate adjustments were made on March 10, with more than two-thirds of parking rates remaining unadjusted and 17% decreasing. Only 11% of
parking rates increased.
The city maintains a policy goal of having one to two parking spaces available on every block face. The transportation department adjusts parking rates across the city on a seasonal basis in order to achieve this goal. SDOT assesses on-street parking demand by neighborhood area and sub-area twice a year to determine necessary rate adjustments.
“With the average rate projected to be lower, revenue decreases,” Hennes explained.
The second factor in decreasing revenue is demand or paid usage. Paid usage of parking in Seattle has plateaued, but the cause remains unclear. This was noted in the Seattle Economic and Revenue Forecast Council meeting on April 10.
Hennes said it’s too early to tell whether the plateau in demand is temporary or long-term.
The Seattle Department of Transportation told The Center Square that there are no direct impacts on transportation funding when parking revenues decline.
"When parking revenues decline, the City Budget Office treats it like any other General Fund revenue decline and evaluates options to manage shortfalls alongside citywide needs," SDOT Press Secretary Ethan Bergerson said to The Center Square in an email.
A tiny housing solution to a big problem in Washington state
By Sue Lani Madsen The Center Square
Tiny houses are poised to be vital in addressing Washington state’s housing affordability crisis. It will take a shift in the “bigger is better” mindset behind the supersizing of American housing over the last century.
In 1924, the average floor area of an American home was 777 square feet, providing 179 square feet per person. By 2014, the average house had ballooned to 2,657 square feet and an average of 1,046 square feet per person.
While home sizes grow, so does Washington’s housing crisis in the form of rising costs, a shortage of affordable housing and increasing rates of homelessness and housing instability. Washington is projected to need more than 1 million new homes by 2044.
One barrier to changing minds is separating minimalist houses from tiny houses on wheels, also known as THOWs. While THOWs are treated like recreational vehicles, the modern tiny house movement focuses on permanent structures regulated under the building code.
The Washington State Building Code Council adopted Appendix Q of the International Residential Code in 2020. Appendix Q sets standards for cozy homes of 400 square feet or smaller, with alternative parameters to gain back space from standard prescriptive requirements.
Appendix Q allows some lower head heights and waives minimum room sizes. Standard stairs built
to meet IRC requirements must be at least 36 inches wide with a typical seveninch riser height. Those dimensions take up 45 square feet of floor space.
Appendix Q allows narrower stairs to lofts with risers up to 12 inches high, a familiar experience to anyone who has ever climbed to the second floor of the typical early 20th-century American farmhouse.
Saul Hansen, an intern architect working on large commercial structures with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., loves working on tiny houses as his weekend passion project. Last week, he presented the history of Appendix Q to the Spokane Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Tiny house living first came on the scene as a countercultural lifestyle and moved into the mainstream as part of the solution to housing affordability. The smaller size is also attractive to retirees ready to downsize to a simpler lifestyle and less time on housework.
Hansen described how the smaller price works for first-time buyers looking for
starter homes. According to Hansen's documentation, a well-appointed tiny house with high-quality finishes and fixtures can be built for less than $50,000.
Ironically, the low price can become a barrier to finding financing. Banks often balk at tiny houses as threatening the standard mortgage model and decline to finance projects.
Some jurisdictions also resist, fearing tiny home communities would look like dilapidated RV parks. Appendix Q was part of the answer.
“As soon as it’s on a foundation, they’re totally willing to talk. Working with the city of Spokane has been awesome,” Hansen said. “Most people don’t know it’s an option.”
Hansen sees tiny houses as an alternative to condos for starter homes and an opportunity for elders to live in lively mixed-age communities. He said he’s run the numbers with developers and had a positive response.
Many Washington jurisdictions, including Bellevue, Port Townsend and Jefferson County, have embraced tiny house construction.
Seattle drug users could duck charges – if they play by new rules
By Spencer Pauley
The Center Square
Defendants charged with public drug use in Seattle could get their charges dismissed in 60 days in exchange for full compliance with diversion programs as part of a new alternative to prosecution. Under the "Drug Prosecution Alternative," eligible defendants are to be transferred from the City Attorney’s Office to the Seattle Municipal Court Resource Center, where they will participate in a substance use assessment and complete a drug test. Defendants must also avoid committing any criminal violations for a 60-day period to have their cases dismissed.
According to Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison's office, the program is meant to free up court resources by resolving open drug
use cases within two months and increase the number of participants fully participating in drug treatment services. The number of public drug use cases in Seattle spiked in the first quarter of 2024, according to the office, and
is continuing to average 25 to 35 cases a month. In 2023, Washington lawmakers redefined drug use and possession as a misdemeanor rather than a felony. Seattle followed suit and established public drug
use and possession as a misdemeanor offense, although it took two attempts for the city council to establish its own drug possession law in dealing with loud opposition from residents during bill hearings.
Last year, the Seattle City Council passed the Stay Out of Drug Area ordinance – referred to as “SODA” – which prohibits a defendant from entering a designated zone if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in that zone. SODA faced opposition from civil rights groups and residents for targeting homeless people.
Davison argues that the Drug Prosecution Alternative and SODA legislation threads the needle between public order and treatmentfirst approaches by protecting public spaces from open drug use and helping defendants stay sober.
However, Davison added that there are “additional needs that remain.”
“Specifically, misdemeanor drug offenses need dedicated funding for treatment. Warm handoffs between branches of the criminal justice system should become standard, particularly for individuals with substance abuse disorder,” she said in a news release. “I’m hopeful that this new approach will address the underlying causes of addiction and foster lasting change for those individuals struggling with drug use.”
Potential funding for misdemeanor drug offenses will have to be considered with budget issues facing the Seattle City Council in the next biennium as the city anticipates a $241.5 million drop in revenue over the next two years that may lead to cuts to city services and programs.
The
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