The Sangamon County Mental Health Board met for the sixth time in an official capacity Oct. 28, setting dates for upcoming public “study sessions” where no official action will be taken but board members can discuss issues and ideas.
The Mental Health Board is responsible for disbursing tax revenue to mental health programs in the county through a limited 0.5% sales tax levy (groceries, medication and services are excluded), which the county conservatively estimates will bring in roughly $14.7 million in its first year.
Related
“Trying to bring things together”
The board expects to review draft short and long-term plans for types of programs it seeks to fund during next month’s meeting. Earlier this month, the board received its first tax revenue payment of just more than $1.4 million, executive director Tatyana Gardner said.
“Over the next 30 to 60 days, our priorities remain focused on finalizing our strategic planning drafts, advancing our operational infrastructure, providing a proposed budget and continue to develop our grantmaking process,” she said.
Chair Steve Nardulli announced Maragaret Seymour’s resignation from the Mental Health Board at the start of the meeting, citing “personal reasons.” Seymour, a psychiatric clinician, has worked for Memorial Health since 2020, according to a public LinkedIn account with her name.
Aside from Nardulli, the other seven remaining board members are: Jennifer Douglas, a re-entry coordinator for the Illinois Department of Corrections; Michael Gaines, corrections coordinator for the Illinois Department of Public Health; Janice Gambach, former CEO of Memorial Behavioral Health; William Moredock, president of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School; David Racine, former executive director of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at University of Illinois Springfield; Leigh Steiner, former CEO of then-Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center; and Brian Wojcicki, a lobbyist and lawyer.
The board also approved an agreement to pay about $26,000 to Sangamon County for digital and infrastructural support during the county’s 2027 fiscal year, which runs from the start of December through Nov. 30, 2027.
Finally, the board shared upcoming 12 p.m. “lunch hour” study sessions for the following days on the third-floor conference room at 300 S. Ninth Street:
- Nov. 4
- Nov. 11
- Dec. 2
- Dec. 9
- Jan. 6
- Jan. 13
Nardulli noted the board aims to also add one evening session per month for people unable to attend during the day. At recent meetings, public commenters have criticized the board for holding its meetings during the day when many people are unable to attend.
The Mental Health Board’s next official meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Sangamon South Auditorium, 300 S. Ninth Street.
