Yes to 708 | The Center

Did you know?

1 in 5 adults experiences a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD in a given year

1 in 6 children have a developmental disability such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, Down’s syndrome, or other neurological conditions

1 in 5 youth aged 13-18 experiences a severe mental health disorder at some point during their life

6 in 10 Piatt County youth self-reported using alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs in the last year

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The state of Illinois is ranked 35th among all states in spending on mental health and 43rd in spending for developmental disabilities.

Many mental health providers that primarily serve an under resourced population cannot sustain their workforce and/or make necessary capital improvements to support these services due to the unsustainable service rates issued by Medicaid. The only rational choice for most of these community-based providers is to limit services to non-private insurance consumers or reduce workforce, thus worsening the mental health support network within the service area.

What is a 708 Board?

A “708 Board” or Community Mental Health Board is established by a community, municipality, or township for the purposes of planning and funding mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse services. It consists of 7-9 members and appointed by the County Board. The board is governed by the Illinois Community Mental Health Act.

For full text of the Community Mental Health Act go to:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1499&ChapterID=34

How it is formed?
How does it function?

The process to establish a 708 referendum looks like this:

Pass Referendum > County Board Appoints Board Members > Board Conducts Needs Survey > Budget Prepared by Board > County Board Approves Budget > Grant Applications Submitted > Funds Submitted

Some of the more common functions of a 708 Board include:

Evaluates community needs and creates targeted local support
Strategizes, plans and allocates funding
Coordinates a comprehensive system of services to help people living with
- Mental health issues
- Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
- Substance use issues.
Reduces or eliminates long waiting lists and gaps in services

What is the cost to tax payers?

The maximum amount that can be levied is 0.15% of the assessed value of your property. Assessed Value is generally 1/3 the amount of the fair market value of a home. You can find the Net Taxable Value of your home on your tax bill.

The amount that is levied is not the maximum. Champaign County in FY22 was 0.12%.

Sample Cost for Homeowner at rate of 0.0214%

HOME VALUE $148,000    $300,000
ASSESSED VALUE    $49,333.33 $100,000.00
ADDITIONAL TAX    $10.56    $21.40

Sample Cost for Homeowner at rate of 0.05%

HOME VALUE $148,000 $300,000
ASSESSED VALUE $49,333.33 $100,000.00
ADDITIONAL TAX $24.67 $50.00

Sample Cost for Homeowner at rate of 0.15%

HOME VALUE $148,000 $300,000
ASSESSED VALUE $49,333.33 $100,000.00
ADDITIONAL TAX $74.00 $150.00

To avoid confusion, 100%=1, 1%=0.01, 0.15%=0.0015

What can you do?

This is the referendum question that will be asked in November 2024:

Shall Piatt County levy an annual tax not to exceed 0.15% for the purpose of providing community mental health facilities and services including facilities and services for the person with a developmental disability or a substance abuse disorder, which levy will have a single additional tax of a maximum of .15% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein extended for such purposes?

We are asking you to vote to affirm this referendum so that fellow Piatt County residents who utilize Mental Health, Substance Use, and Developmental Services can know that their fellow community members are dedicated to providing a support network. This will aid in the assessment, treatment, and maintenance for many of our fellow residents and help eliminate barriers to treatment to care.