Mental-health chief asks for supporters’ help on poll

Readers,

The Sun has a poll asking whether you think a sales-tax increase to support mental-health services is a good idea. The no votes were winning this morning, until Joe Roszak, executive director of Kitsap Mental Health Services, put out this email to potential supporters. Here’s Roszak’s email. Thought you should know. — Rachel Pritchett

Dear Friends of KMHS. In this morning’s Kitsap Sun there is an article about the 1/10th of 1% Sales Tax Initiative that would support behavioral health and housing in our county. There is a poll included with the on-line article and I’m asking for your support. Please vote now to let the commissioners know how much this initiative is needed to strengthen behavioral health services in our community.

Here is the article and poll:

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/jan/14/sales-tax-increase-for-mentally-ill-to-be/#axzz2I3tbd4Rt

So far we have growing community support for the tax increase. The Bremerton City Council has on its agenda for the Wednesday 1/16/13 (tomorrow) meeting a recommendation to endorse the resolution in support of the tax initiative. Bainbridge Island City Council has this down for their work study session tomorrow at 7:30 PM and the Port Orchard City Council has it on its agenda for the next Council meeting. Currently the following agencies had their boards of directors sign a resolution in support of the 1/10th of 1%:

Kitsap NAMI
Kitsap Adult Center for Education
Kitsap Community Resources
Asset-building Coalition of Kitsap
Citizen Advisory Board, Juv. Family Servs.
Peninsula Community Health Center
Kitsap County Commission on Youth
Harrison Medical Center
League of Women Voters
Islanders for Collaborative Policing
Agape Unlimited (chem. dep. tx. ctr.)
Kitsap Mental Health Services
West Sound Treatment Center (chem. dep. tx. ctr.)

Many thanks for your consideration and support. Please forward this to others in support of your work and our overall efforts to make our little corner of the world a better place for all of us who live here.

Joe Roszak, Executive Director

Kitsap Mental Health Services