(WICS/WRSP)
SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Sangamon County voters will be asked if they want to see small increase to their sales tax on their primary ballots. The money would go towards the creation of a mental health board and to fund new programs for residents.
According to state law, the tax and referendum must be established by voters before a board can be established. By voting in favor of the tax, one would be supporting the formation of a board.
Adam White, who served on the staff of the Massey Commission, says, “There are a lot of municipalities, counties around the state that already have a mental health board. we are actually just trying to catch up.”
In their report, the county’s mental health commission, which was set up to research whether a board could be of use to the county, says there are 95 boards in 66 counties in Illinois.
(Sangamon County Mental Health Commission)
State law says mental health boards can be funded by either property taxes or sales taxes. Counties like Champaign and Macon approved increases in property taxes to fund theirs. However, Sangamon County is going with sales tax, something supporters say will help spread the cost.
White says, “If we had gone about it through a property tax, it would have rested a lot on our farmers. a lot of our property in Sangamon County is farmland. so that would have put in a very unnecessary burden on our farming community and something that we just did not feel that was the best avenue.”
The sales tax will also generate more money in their estimate. If they levied the maximum amount they could on property taxes, it could generate a little over $8 million. However, if they added an additional half percent to sales tax, the number could be over $14.5 million, and it won’t be added to items of necessity.
(Sangamon County Mental Health Commission)
White explains, “When you’re having to buy a car or transportation or medicine, food, none of that is taxable, but going to a sporting goods store and buying some camping equipment or something like that, that would be applicable.”
If the voters say yes, the board will be made up of 7 to 9 members, with medical, mental health, or substance abuse expertise or lived experiences, appointed by the county board chair. They would be required to prepare an annual budget and publish annual expenditure reports.
In order to pass, the referendum needs a simple majority. It will appear on every ballot, regardless of party affiliation.