Vote no on 708 board in Elgin Township

Mental health services are desperately needed in our community, but a plan needs to come before the tax collection. With the current proposal to create a 708 board, a new tax will be created without first having a plan or even the planners in place. This is a recipe for disaster - a recipe for waste and mismanagement.

Despite every good intention, the smallest body of government, the Elgin Township, with four elected officials, should not be tackling one of the biggest social issues of our time. This important function needs to go to and through a body of government that has an established staff, expertise, systems in place and more representative leadership to efficiently address these issues before us.

Expanding the role of the tiny township created in 1850 ensures that it will only continue to grow and devour more tax dollars to secure its self perpetuation long past its useful life to the taxpayers. We should be thinking about dissolving the township, as other communities have, instead of helping it to grow into a taxing juggernaut.

Vote no for this poorly thought-out proposal.

Jo Ann Armenta

Elgin