Mental health sales tax positioned to pass with 56% of voters in support

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Voters in Winnebago County are supporting the extension of a half-cent sales tax that funds mental health services and substance abuse treatments, preliminary results from Election Night show.

About 56% of voters favor extending the tax for five years after its scheduled sunset on June 30, 2026. The tax was initially approved with 62% of the vote in March 2020.

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 election results are unofficial.

Official results certified at least 14 days after Election Day to allow for verification of provisional ballots and to record any vote-by-mail ballots that are postmarked on or before Nov. 5.

Last year, the tax funded 30 mental health care programs that served nearly 18,000 clients, according to a report prepared by the Winnebago County Mental Health Board.

The tax created 147 full-time jobs in mental health care, but only 107 of those positions were filled. That also means that some of the money allocated from the tax went unspent as organizations work to try to hire for roles for which they’ve won funding. There was $14.6 million allocated for 2023 and $10.6 million spent by the end of the year, according to the report.

The board said there is a shortage of mental health specialists and substance abuse workers in the county, and it will need to focus on workforce development in the coming years to overcome the shortfall.

Mental health sales tax

Should Winnebago County extend the half-cent sales tax dedicated to mental health initiatives through 2031?

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