The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its October 12, 2026 regular business meeting to adopt a new one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax dedicated exclusively to criminal justice and public safety operations.
While commissioners expressed deep respect for taxpayer burdens, Root asserted that the board maintains a solemn constitutional obligation to protect community safety.
Sheriff Dickinson Warns Rejection Would Force Layoffs of 21 Sworn Personnel Interim Kitsap County Sheriff Kenneth Dickinson delivered pivotal testimony to the commissioners detailing the severe operational consequences of failing to secure alternate revenue.
Over the preceding four years, external healthcare contractor costs have grown at double-digit annual percentages, outpacing general municipal inflation and squeezing operational allocations.
Furthermore, the stable funding stream allows the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to retain senior felony trial attorneys and victim witness advocates who had faced potential attrition.
Kitsap County commissioners approve a 0.1% regional sales tax under House Bill 2015 to generate $7.7 million annually, averting layoffs of 21 sworn sheriff and jail personnel.