Mental health funding gets support in Elgin, Dundee townships

Requests for a property tax hike to fund the creation of their own mental health boards passed Tuesday in both Elgin and Dundee townships, preliminary results show.

With all precincts reporting, voters supported a binding referendum question 8,231 to 3,535 in Elgin Township. The vote was 4,568 to 2,432 in Dundee Township.

Both townships are seeking to establish a maximum tax levy of 0.15%, the revenue from which would be dispersed to local organizations to help fund services for substance abuse, developmental disabilities and mental health issues.

In Elgin Township, residents with a home with an assessed value of $55,494 - the median in the area - would pay an additional $85 annually with the tax increase. The median assessed value of a house in Dundee Township is $60,533, for which a homeowner would pay an extra $91 per year.

­­- Lauren Rohr