Dupage Policy Journal

Residents of Lisle Township are being warned against a mental health referendum that would see taxes hiked by 485 percent. 

The tax could raise Lisle Township’s tax rate from .0309 to a height of .15. 

“On Your Ballot is this Referendum Question: Shall Lisle Township levy an annual tax not to exceed 0.15% for the purposes of providing community mental health facilities and services including services for the person with a developmental disability or substance use disorder, which levy will have a single additional tax of a maximum of .15% of the equalized assessed valued of the taxable property therein extended for such purposes,” a flyer opposing the referendum reads. 

Several impacts were listed on the flyer, raising awareness among the residents.

“WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?" the flyer reads. "1. The new tax alone can be 4X greater than the current tax. The current Lisle Township tax rate is .0309, this new tax can be as high as .15.  Or 485% higher than the current tax rate. This tax could take in over $8.7 million in just the first year. 2. The money will be wasted on overhead and accounting as the Township will only act as a pass through for mental health services. There is no expertise at the Township level for disbursement of these services to either select qualified clients or providers. 3. Taxpayers built a new mental health facility just six years ago at the DuPage County complex.  NAMI DuPage does a great job helping people with mental health issues. Mental health services are the responsibility of state and county government, not townships. Many people have private insurance to cover mental health needs." 

Fourthly, the flyer highlighted that Illinois already has "the SECOND highest property taxes in the nation."

"[It is] one of the highest overall tax burdens and the greatest number of taxing entities of any state," the flyer reads. "Taxes are depressing home values and driving residents out of the state 5. A 2021 Township mental health study indicated that, 'According to most interviewees, Lisle Township has sufficient general services to serve residents with mental illness.' This is unneeded at the Township level. 6. This referendum creates an entirely new government board and a new tax on your property which will never go away.”

A study on Lisle’s mental health footprint – “Local Mental Health System Overview & Recommendations” – found the township has ample resources. The study was commissioned by members of Lisle Township Board of Trustees (Sean Allen, Kathleen Chatman, Michael Riedy, and Anthony Signorella), and Township Supervisor Mary Jo Mullen.

Lisle is one of several townships considering such a staggering tax hike to fund mental health boards, according to Chicago Tribune.

A group helmed the drive to install the boards in local townships. They collected more than 3,000 signatures to get the referendum on the ballot, NCTV17 reported.