In less than two months, Sangamon County residents will determine, through a referendum vote, whether the county should levy a limited 0.5% sales tax increase to fund a Mental Health Board that would distribute tax dollars to social service providers. Members of the county commission that recommended the Sangamon County Board adopt referendum language for a dedicated mental health board visited the Citizens Club of Springfield on Jan. 23 to drum up support for the upcoming referendum.
The sales tax increase would add an additional 5 cents of tax per $10 of goods purchased and would not be included on groceries or medication. If approved, the tax would generate more than $14 million annually for a mental health board, according to county estimates.
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The vast majority of counties in Illinois have public entities called 708 boards funding mental health efforts, named after the decades-old Illinois bill-turned-law to grant the creation of such boards through a public vote. The boards approve funding for local social service organizations through some form of tax revenue. While grants regularly prop up nonprofit organizations, 708 boards can stabilize funding for mental health services.
Mike Murphy, president and CEO of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, chaired the county’s exploratory commission of mental health boards. It included additional recommendations for instituting a mental health board.
“I want to make sure that we’re checking them,” Murphy said. “I don’t want to establish this and then assume they’re going to do a good job. I think it’s going to be the responsibility of the County Board and others to make sure that they’re actually performing.”
Murphy, a Republican member of the state legislature from 2018 through 2021 and former owner of Charlie Parker’s Diner, also reiterated that Springfield has a number of social service providers, but services are often limited due to funding and operating hours.
“We have a lot of great programs out there, but they’re an inch deep and a foot wide. And they need to be a lot deeper and a lot wider,” he said.
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Ryan Croke, president of the Mid-Illinois Medical District Commission, shared some of the efforts underway to generate support for the referendum.
“There are letters going out to the general public, a few letters targeted at different audiences across the county,” he said. Croke, who also serves as the first assistant deputy governor for Gov. JB Pritzker, overseeing health and human services agencies, is hosting a Vote Yes For Mental Health fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, at Hanson Professional Services, 1525 S. Sixth St.
If approved by the referendum vote on March 17, the County Board would be responsible for appointing members to the mental health board.
Citizens Club president Joyce Nardulli asked Murphy, “What happens if this referendum fails?”
“Status quo,” Murphy said.
Interesting essay
Too much heat is often given to seedlings, when raised in a hotbed or greenhouse; and the plants become spiring and weakly, in lieu of being short stemmed an
Im all for supporting mental health. But what is disgusting is this is nothing more than a 14 million dollar a year county power grab orchestrated by Andy van meter and his political puppets like Senator Turner. The county has not helped one bit with mental health. No where to be found under his leadership. Now because of their inept hiring that has cost taxpayers 10 million dollars, they want to raise our taxes as a “we are here to help mental illness” wink wink nod nod. Vote no because there will be no overseeing of this money as Mike Murphy says there will be. Why will the county board be in control when the city of Springfield is the largest contributor and they don’t even have a seat at the table. Using an illness for their greed. Disgusting!
I’m with Bill Pickett.