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7500 Manastash Rd <br /> Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br /> December 3, 2021 <br /> Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners <br /> 205 W 5th AVE STE 108 <br /> Ellensburg WA 98926-2887 <br /> Dear Commissioners: <br /> I am writing in support of the proposed 1/101h of 1% sales tax to provide expanded mental <br /> health and substance abuse treatment in Kittitas County. <br /> This service is sorely needed in our community. According to the Kittitas County Health <br /> Network, mental health calls to the police are up 65% since 2016, 24% of 10th graders have a <br /> suicide plan, and 35% of the people confined to the corrections center have substance abuse <br /> issues. Yet because we are in a mental health provider shortage area, there are not enough <br /> resources to deal with these problems. <br /> For example, in my career at CWU, some of my advisees were older students who were <br /> returning to school to pursue new careers after working in low-paying jobs out of high school. <br /> Many of these students were local residents with families of their own. Although the students <br /> themselves had access to mental health services through the college, their families did not <br /> because they weren't enrolled, and when problems arose, the services they needed had long <br /> wait lists. Several of my students had to withdraw from school to deal with family issues <br /> because of a lack of community resources for support. <br /> The funds generated by this tax would enable the county to take a proactive approach in <br /> avoiding problems rather than a reactive approach in dealing with problems after they become <br /> a crisis. In the long run, this approach is less expensive. The tax has broad community support <br /> and is endorsed by 25 local agencies. Please pass it or put it on a ballot. <br /> Thank you. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Karen Raymond <br />