FERNDALE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Ferndale has decided against joining a growing number of local municipalities in adding a new sales tax.

The city council voted 4-3 Tuesday night, Sept. 8 to shut down a one-tenth of one percent sales tax to fund criminal justice services.

If it were approved, the tax would’ve added a dime to a hundred-dollar purchase.

City councilmember Ali Hawkinson – who voted “no” – told My Bellingham Now that there were a lot of things to consider prior to this tax’s passage.

“Citizens don’t get to tax their neighbors when they can’t afford something,” she said in written comments. “We may have to, but we need to make sure that’s the right option. They told me several times during the meeting that they’ll have to slash arts commission budget.”

Councilmember Erin Gunter, who voted in favor of the proposed sales tax, told MBN that she believes the tax would be easier to implement than pulling funds from the city’s banked capacity levy.

“Ferndale is in a crisis financially,” Gunter said.

The city of Ferndale uses FIT (meaning Financial Intelligence Tool), a Washington State Auditor-offered service that maps local government finances in a comprehensive format. According to the city, revenues have flattened and even declined in recent years while expenditures have started to climb.

Councilmembers weighed the possibility of sending the decision to voters at their previous meeting last month. But state law currently requires that cities pass the tax themselves and does not allow for it to be approved by voters until June 2028.

Bellingham, Lynden, Whatcom County and Skagit County all previously approved the tax and have already started collecting it.

A separate ordinance that would would prohibit e-bikes from sidewalks and public parks was sent back to committee for revisions.

Jason Upton and Emma Toscani contributed to this story.