Palatine Township mental health board approves agreement to receive funds

The recently created Palatine Township Community Mental Health Board voted on a plan to work with township officials to bridge a funding gap before it can start collecting taxes in 2026.

Voters approved the mental health board and its taxing authority in April. The board will plan and help fund services for people with mental health issues, intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Attorney Michael Airdo presented two funding options at Monday’s meeting: Issuing tax anticipation warrants or entering into a formal agreement with the township for administrative support and interim funding.

The proposed one-year agreement, effective Oct. 1, would include provisions for shared services, coordination of financial oversight and data reporting protocols.

The township still needs to approve its part of the agreement.

The mental health board faces a critical timeline to present funding recommendations to the township board by mid-November. The tax could generate approximately $1.7 million annually if fully funded.

But Palatine Township Trustee Michael Smolka, who is on the board, said the mental health board has some wiggle room in terms of what it requests, since the amount it levies isn’t tied to the tax cap.

Key to that ask will be the results of a needs assessment.

“If we ask for the full amount, we have to sell that,” Smolka said.

The board took steps toward having an assessment by also voting Monday to form a needs assessment committee headed by board members Karen Baker and Kathy Millen.

Baker recommended reviewing existing assessments conducted by local organizations such as Endeavor Health. She is system director of community impact and engagement for Endeavor Health-Northwest Community Hospital.

“I think it would be worthwhile to see what other needs assessments have already been done in the community,” she said.