September 15, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Journal photos by Natalie Johnson
Mental health advisory committee member Tom Davis, right, speaks
during a public hearing Thursday, with fellow advisory committee
member Shawnee Whelan, left, on a proposed one-tenth of I percent
sales tax increase for mental health and substance abuse programs.
. ,Hearln-s Klint said, would be to take ty needs more programs for
some of the burden of pro- mental health and chemical
Continued from page A-1 viding mental health pro- dependency, but many peo-
grams off of the justice sys- ple were concerned about
to the committee, tem. how the money would be
If implemented, the tax "We already are paying administered or the value of
would help fund therapeu- for the cost of doing noth- the investment.
tic courts similar to the ing," she said. "I'm a little concerned
county's existing drug court. Right now, many prison- that this isn't going to be
Therapeutic courts tend ors of the Mason County enough money," former
to reduce the likelihood of Jail are released with no Shelton-Mason County
recidivism, or reoffending, prospect of treatment and Chamber of Commerce Di-
Klint said. many become homeless, rector Terri Jeffries said.
The tax would also likely "We've got to come into If the county passes this
fund programs for prison- the 20th century in Mason tax, it will be the 16th coun-
ors in the Mason County County," said committee ty in Washington to do so.
Jail with mental illnesses or member Douglas Sayan. "It's not like we're the
substance abuse issues. "Those that aren't danger- pioneers here, we are ...
Mason County has lost ous are sick and what do we compared to our neighbor-
significant amounts of state do? Send them to the woods ing counties, the last to go to
and federal funding for men .... If you keep them out of the commission," Klint said.
tal health and substance sight maybe they're gone - The committee explained
abuse services over the last give me a break." that Jefferson County would
several years due to budget The tax is estimated to be a good model for Mason
constraints, said Vicki Kirk- raise between $450,000 County because it was the
patrick, director of Mason and $600,000 per year de- first to adopt the tax, so
County Public Health. pending on overall sales in there is a lot of data avail-
In state funding alone, the county. The committee, able on the effectiveness of
the county has lost 11 per- along with two professional the program, and it has a
cent of its funding since consultants, estimated that similar size, tax base and
2008, from $551,190 in that the tax will cost less than needs as Mason County.
year to a projected $489,739 $20 per year for the average Marsha Weaver a Behav-
in 2012. household in the county,ioral Health Resources men-
"Some of the reduction is Committee members ac- tal health professional at the
due to eliminated programs knowledged that this would Mason County Jail spoke on
and some due to reduced not be enough money to fund her firsthand knowledge of
program funding," Kirkpat- all of the m6ntal health and the county's need for more
rick said, chemical dependency pro-mental health resources.
The county has lost 32 grams that Mason County "I see it getting worse
percent of grant funding needs, every day. As a grassroots
for these programs, going "Basically what it is, is a community we have to start
from $537,695 in 2008 to start," said committeemem- somewhere," she said. "The
$364,942 in 2012. ber Tom Davis. "These peo- little projects, they will
County dollars for mental ple have a tendency to fall make a difference, there's a
health have also been dra- througfi the cracks. This is great need from people who
matically cut back. Funding just an altruistic, good in- walk into the jail system.
from permitting fees has re- tentioned effort." I don't want to call it a re-
duced by 50 percent, fund- Klint said the money sponsibility, it's more of a
ing from fees dropped by 16 would have to be budgeted human response."
percent and ihnding from carefully toward well-tested The committee will con-
intergovernmental revenue programs to get "the best le- tinue to gather informa-
dropped 58 percent, verage out of a community tion on the proposed tax. To
The total health depart- investment." comment, submit comments
ment budget decreased by Among both the corn- at www.co.mason.wa.us or
30 percent from 2008 to mittee and members of the to Mason County Public
2009. public there was little doubt Health, P.O. Box 1466 Shel-
The purpose of the tax, about whether Mason Coun- ton WA 98584.
Library
Continued from page A-1
far as I can tell, in 1999," she said. "It was
tired - we have 900 people (in here) a day."
Ross said the carpet, which was installed as
separate tiles, would actually lift offthe floor dur-
ing routine cleanings, and one 4-year-old refused
to sit on the stained carpet during story time.
'WThen a 4-year-old is telling you it's dirty
..,it's bad," she said.
Installing new flooring for the entire li- J ...... I photobyNatalieJoh ....
brary cost approximately $58,000, Ross said, Library manager Patty Ayala Ross
and finding funding for the project was a'ma- said she is excited about the new
jor concern, changes at the Shelton Timberland
"Technically, it was a city building so Library.
they're responsible - the budget for them has
been impossible," she said. "They wanted to dropped offcakes," she said.
help but just couldn't." While the library badly needed new carpet,
Ross set to work fundraising and quickly it also needed functional flooring, so Timber-
secured $25,000 from Timberland Libraries. land staff suggested laminate flooring, par-
The rest of the money, she said, came entirely ticularly for the meeting room, which gets a
from public donations, lot of traffic from children and craft groups.
The Friends ofthe Library donated $10,000 "People eat in there, we have crafts in
and she was able to use $5,000 from the Tim- there, there's glitter in there," Ross said. "It's
berland Foundation, which is made up of en- a little more expensive but it's lasting - it's
tirely donated funds, she said. The rest of the worth the investment."
money came from a large private donor who Timberland Libraries also approved new
wished to remain anonymous, she said. paint for the building, which cost $16,000. Li-
Ross said the project to annex the library brary staff already had to move all of the build-
into the Timberland Library system showed ing's books, furniture and decorations, so it
how much the community supports the Shel- made sense to paint at the same time, Ross said.
ton Library. Much of the library looks the same, Ross
"The 'yes' vote was one of the highest ever in said, but the teen section has been expanded
Mason County at 89 percent... I think that is an and moved to the lower floor, providing more
indicator of how important this place is for the room and a fun meeting space for younger
community," she said. "It was one of the most readers, Ross said.
rewarding experiences in my library career." The whole project really serves to make the
Even during the remodel, when the library library a more inviting place for all members
was closed for almost a month, community of the community, Ross said.
members vocally expressed their support. '%Ve have to be a part of community solu-
"People have been really kind ... people tions," she said.
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