By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Voters may decide this November whether to extend a half-cent sales tax that supports mental health services and substance-abuse treatment for an additional five years.
The tax, which about 62% of voters favored when it was approved in March 2020, is set to expire on June 30, 2026. The tax has been collected since July 1, 2020, and has a six-year sunset.
The Winnebago County Board is expected to decide on Thursday whether to place the referendum question on the Nov. 5 ballot. That puts the matter before voters during the presidential election, when voter turnout is higher.
“Mental health and substance abuse services are critically needed in Winnebago County,” Paul Arena, chairman of the Winnebago County Board’s Republican caucus, said in a news release. “The election this November is the best opportunity to place this question before voters in a countywide election, when the highest number of citizens are likely to vote.”
The tax costs shoppers 50 cents for every $100 they spend on purchases in Winnebago County. The tax isn’t applied to groceries, prescription drugs, medical appliances and vehicles such as cars, boats and mobile homes.
The tax raised approximately $19 million last year for mental health and substance abuse programs. The money is distributed to by the appointed Winnebago County Mental Health Board, which in April announced about $60 million in funding for 41 programs and agencies would be doled out over the next three years.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas