Dupage Policy Journal

Milton Township voters are being asked to  approve a new annual tax to establish and maintain community mental health facilities and services (including services for the person with a developmental disability or substance disorder).  

While the proposal sounds good and useful for the community, opponents have concerns about adding a new tax, about how the township will handle the funding, and what will actually happen if the proposition is approved. They also cite duplication of services.

That new tax rate is not to exceed .15 percent of a property’s assessed value. The current tax rate for the township is .0408 percent of a property’s assessed value.

A flyer supporting the measure points out that although the tax rate is capped at .15 percent, it could be significantly less. The actual rate will be based on the community’s needs, supporters say.

Not only are there concerns about the money and creation of a new governmental board, some say that the referendum, if approved, will duplicate the services and facilities that already exist in the community. Opponents say that NAMI DuPage does a great job at helping those who need mental health services, and that there’s already a state-of-the-art mental health facility in the county complex, which was built five years ago.

Should voters approve this proposition, it would create a new government board that has taxing authority, and opponents of the proposition say that it’s not needed. There are already more than 7,000 government entities in Illinois. The state that comes closest in the number of government entities is Texas, and there are 5,000 government boards and entities there.

And some say it’s not the responsibility of local government to provide funding for services for those who have mental health issues, substance use issues, or developmental delays. Instead, opponents of the referendum suggest that mental health services should be funded and handled at the state level. They are urging state representatives and senators to fully fund mental health services, and they say that Democrats in the legislature refuse to do that.

Voters will have their say on April 6, 2021.