Mental Health Board Proposal Heads to Voters

The Sangamon County Board has voted to place a referendum on the March 17, 2026 ballot asking residents whether the county should establish a new countywide mental-health board. The vote follows months of work by the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission, which studied local needs, gathered public input, and ultimately recommended the creation of a dedicated board to expand and coordinate mental-health and substance-use services.

During the meeting, board member Gina Lathan noted the scale of the need revealed in the data, saying, “Forty percent of Sangamon County residents reported unmet mental-health needs, and a large majority of community members supported expanding mental-health services. We also found youth, rural residents, and incarcerated individuals often struggle to access the services they need.”

In its final report, the Commission noted that nearly four in ten residents surveyed had experienced an unmet mental-health need within the last three years. A large majority of respondents supported increasing county funding for mental-health services, and most favored having mental-health professionals respond alongside law enforcement during crises. Providers echoed those concerns, with only a small share saying current services are adequate and many reporting difficulty connecting clients to appropriate care.

The proposed board would focus on several priority areas identified by the Commission, including crisis co-response teams that pair clinicians with law enforcement, intensive psychiatric case management for individuals with severe mental illness, housing-related case management, representative-payee services to help vulnerable residents manage their benefits, and culturally responsive, community-based programming delivered through schools, churches, and local organizations.

James Schackmann, who serves as Chairman of the Public Health Committee, said the Commission’s findings were reinforced by testimony heard throughout the process. “We heard from professionals, families, and individuals who either need services or don’t know how to access them,” he said. “A mental-health board gives us a tool used successfully across Illinois to coordinate efforts and make sure people get the help they need.”

Chairman Andy Van Meter also highlighted the growing level of public involvement surrounding the referendum. “There is already a strong groundswell of community support for this referendum,” he said. “Many residents who understand firsthand the need for expanded mental-health services have formed a citizens’ committee to help educate the public. One group began with about 50 members, and another has since organized with roughly 25 more. Community involvement is building quickly, and that support will be an important part of moving this initiative forward.”

If approved by voters in March, the mental-health board would be funded through a 0.50 percent countywide sales-tax increase. The tax is projected to raise approximately $14.7 million annually for mental-health services and would add about five cents to a $10 purchase. Groceries, prescriptions, and other state-exempt items would not be affected.

Lathan also emphasized the potential economic benefits of expanded services. “Over time, improved services will reduce the number of individuals cycling through our jail and emergency rooms,” she said. “When people receive coordinated treatment and case management, the county saves money while improving outcomes.”

Schackmann acknowledged he initially struggled with the tax increase but said the long-term implications weighed heavily in his decision to support the referendum. “I hesitated because no one wants to put financial strain on their family, but the data shows that investing in mental-health services now can reduce higher costs later,” he said. “This referendum provides a smarter path that ultimately benefits taxpayers and the entire county.”

Members of the Mental Health Commission have emphasized that the initiative is meant to keep local dollars in the community, reduce strain on jails and emergency rooms, and ensure that residents receive timely, coordinated care. They also noted that improved access to mental-health services can strengthen families, support schools, and reduce the broader social and economic impacts of untreated mental illness.

With the Board’s approval, the question now moves to the voters, who will decide in March whether Sangamon County should establish a dedicated mental-health board to expand and improve local services.