SKAGIT COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Yet another municipality has voted to adopt a new sales tax to support criminal justice.

Skagit County’s Board of Commissioners has approved adopting a 0.1% sales tax following a public hearing on the matter late last month.

The Board of Commissioners heard from a variety of people during their public hearing, including law enforcement officers and mental health professionals that work with law enforcement.

Erin von Fempe who works with the Mount Vernon Police as a mental health professional spoke to the benefits of programs that divert offenders from incarceration when facing mental illness.

“We are uniquely qualified to help the most challenging, grumpiest, short-tempered, impatient citizens of Skagit County so that they can, with our coaxing and support, access the services that they need,” von Fempe said.

The tax will go into effect beginning April 1, 2026, and equal to 10 cents per $100 purchase in the county.

Skagit County expects the sales tax to generate between $4 and 4.5 million in annual revenue.

My Bellingham Now previously reported on the sales tax being adopted by several jurisdictions in Washington after the state legislature passed a law allowing the tax.