PLATTE CITY, Mo. — A proposed sales tax in Platte County could raise about $5 million annually for mental health services if approved by voters.
With the Platte County Commission already saying it opposes the tax, the long process to get the question on the November ballot has just begun, spearheaded by two mental health groups. be.
synergy service and beacon mental health A signature campaign has already begun. The quarter-cent sales tax will fund the Platte County Children's Fund, which will raise approximately $5 million annually.
Mental health organizations can apply for grants from that pool of funding, which are awarded by a board of directors appointed by Platte County commissioners.
Dennis Meyer, co-executive director of Synergy Services, said: “Waiting lists were unusually long, refusal rates were extremely high, and the cost of services was unaffordable for many.”
That's why Meyer and Tom Petrizzo, CEO of Beacon Mental Health, are working together to create a fund similar to those already in place in Clay and Jackson counties. is.
of Jackson County Children's Sservice fund Created in 2016, Friends of Clay County Passed a year later, Meyer and Petrizzo said it provided a long list of mental health services for people under 19. They argue that early intervention and preventive care will ultimately make that care less expensive.
“In that case, the kids aren't going to the emergency room or going to some type of inpatient facility, so it could have been diverted,” Petrizzo said. ”
But when Meier and Petrizzo took their proposal to the Platte County Commission and asked the commission to put it directly on the ballot, the commission disagreed.
Platte County Commissioner Joe Vanover said, “We trust a committee of unelected government officials to spend millions of dollars and decide what is needed for the mental health of our children.” It's dangerous to do that.” “It was an easy decision for me.”
Vanover sees such a tax as a step toward universal health care, saying parents should be responsible for their children's care.
Even though the current commissioners would appoint the board if passed, Vanover said the tax would likely outlast the current commissioners' appointments.
“There is no sunset on this tax,” Vanover said. “This issue will continue for years and decades, and we have no idea who will be on the next committee to make decisions about what is needed for children's mental health. do not have.”
He said existing services in the county and school social workers are providing the needed care.
“The needs are there. Being a teenager is always difficult, but we have to trust our families and make decisions,” Vanover said. “We should not be forcing taxes from families across Platte County and the region that shop in Platte County and funneling it to one government agency.”
Gail Clopton, a Platte County resident, said she generally supports such a tax, but would like more information before going to the polls.
“I don't want to raise it too much, but you know, I'm living on a fixed budget right now,” Clopton said.
One of the big unknowns that could indirectly impact a potential November vote is efforts to expand Platte County's jail.
FOX4 reported that it was already crowded and it was getting even more crowded. $69 million recommendation Regarding expansion plans for Platte City facilities. A more aggressive price tag for the project could come soon, and Platte County commissioners could then have to ask voters for a tax to cover the project on the ballot in August or November. expensive.
