Will County referendum will ask voters for tax to fund mental health programs
In a celebration-line vote, the Will County Board authorised Thursday placing a referendum proposal on the November ballot to question voters to make a local community mental wellbeing board and levy a tax of .05% of a property’s equalized assessed price to fund companies for mental wellbeing, developmental disabilities and compound abuse disorders.
Three townships have talked over making a psychological wellbeing board, and some county board customers reported they felt this should really be a countywide initiative. Board Speaker Mimi Cowan, a Democrat from Naperville, mentioned a constituent experienced approached her inquiring why Will County does not have a mental overall health board.
More psychological well being expert services are required, explained board member Rachel Ventura, the chair of the county board’s public well being and safety committee. With an enhance in opioid overdoses, mass shootings, gun violence and teen suicide, now is a great time to build the mental health and fitness board and devote more income in psychological well being solutions, mentioned Ventura, a Democrat from Joliet.
“This is a little something our society wants,” she reported.
To create a local community psychological health board, which is also recognized as a 708 Board, the county desires voter approval.
By condition statue, the utmost levy simply cannot exceed .15% of the equalized assessed worth to deliver group psychological well being amenities and products and services and services for folks with a developmental disability or a substance abuse condition.
Just after dialogue, the Will County Board in a bipartisan vote agreed that their referendum proposal would look for a most of .05% of the equalized assessed worth.
Nonetheless, when it arrived down to regardless of whether to set the referendum on the ballot, the vote went together get together lines. The referendum was supported by the Democrats on the board and opposed by the Republican members.
County Coroner Laurie Summers claimed she supported the development of the psychological health board, citing the surge in overdose deaths which features many people in their 30s and 40s.
“We have to discover a improved way to be ready to handle these individuals,” Summers reported. “I can inform you that each individual single circumstance … it was an fundamental psychological health concern. If we really don’t offer with the psychological wellness, we are not heading to resolve the dependancy.”
Susan Olenek, executive director for the Will County Well being Section, claimed they have provided mental wellbeing and habits wellbeing services due to the fact the 1950s and receive a levy from the county to execute all of its companies.
“No question there is a need to have for a lot more expert services, but you now have a wellbeing section that supplies these expert services, you have a neighborhood well being middle that supplies these services,” Olenek mentioned.
Olenek said these solutions incorporate psychology for little ones, adolescents and grown ups, outpatient treatment, disaster response and material abuse packages. The wellness division can take personal insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and individuals with no insurance policy, Olenek explained.
She said it helps make a lot more sense to fund a application already in area and was worried about how a lot profits the well being division would get if another county entity competes for products and services.
Ventura said the mental health and fitness board would not provide duplicate solutions, but handle gaps in providers.
A levy of .05% for each equalized assessed worth would produce a tax of $50 on a home that is well worth about $300,000, county officials mentioned. The levy that is in the long run approved could be lower than .05%.
Ventura claimed this would enable psychological wellbeing companies to get a designated funding source and stabilize applications that are now beholden on condition and federal grants.
The county board also wishes to invest some of its cash from the American Rescue Prepare Act, which is created to go the state out of the COVID-19 pandemic in mental wellness solutions. Having said that, Ventura mentioned that is a one particular-time infusion of money.
“At the end of the working day, that funding goes away,” she reported.
Board member Jackie Traynere, a Democrat from Bolingbrook, agreed.
“Mental health and fitness is not something you deal with like paving a highway,” Traynere reported. “It normally takes a extended time.”
Proponents for the referendum mentioned it provides taxpayers a direct means to determine how their taxes are invested.
“There are about 700,000 citizens in Will County, which is a much more substantial human body than we are,” Herb Brooks, a Democrat from Joliet, mentioned. “I imagine the electricity is in the people. Ship it to a referendum … and they vote yes or no.”
Various Republicans on the county board said they did not want to request voters for extra taxes.
“I’ve dedicated to my constituents that I will oppose any new taxes,” explained Frankie Pretzel, a Republican from New Lenox. “I scratch my head in disbelief that all of you are prepared to go to your constituents at this time with a new tax or a proposal for a new tax.”
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Pretzel explained the county board wants much more psychological well being initiatives, but it requires to function within just its usually means relatively than inquiring taxpayers for additional cash.
Board member Raquel Mitchell, a Republican from Bolingbrook, stated board users who oppose placing the referendum on the ballot nonetheless treatment about mental wellness, drug dependancy and an improve in suicides. Mitchell reported mental health and fitness subjects are important.
“We would like to give money to all those matters currently in position and not levy a whole new tax for it,” Mitchell mentioned. “It’s bad enough if we increase the tax. Now we are including a tax. This is like a slap in the facial area to taxpayers.”
The county board’s community wellbeing and basic safety committee not long ago listened to from supporters of setting up a mental well being board. The League of Women Voters of Illinois explained they believe that that nearby tax revenue for mental well being expert services will be increasingly critical.
According to the Affiliation of Local community Psychological Overall health Authorities of Illinois, there are mental well being boards in counties all over the point out, but there are none in Chicago’s collar counties, these types of as Lake, Kane, DuPage, Prepare dinner, Will or Grundy. Some of the townships and metropolitan areas within just the collar counties do have mental health and fitness boards.
If Will County voters approve the generation of the mental health board in November, the users would appear from the community and be appointed by the county govt with the acceptance of the county board. They will not be compensated for their company.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.