Homeowners in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Darien and Burr Ridge will pay more in property taxes after Downers Grove Township voters approved a new mental health levy on Nov. 3.
The owner of a $400,000 home will owe about $67 a year under the new tax, according to the township. The vote also creates the township's first mental health board, a body that will direct funding to local agencies serving people with mental health disorders, substance use disorders and intellectual disabilities.
Unofficial results showed 36,871 votes in favor and 20,432 against, according to Patch. Nearly two-thirds of voters backed the measure.
The township includes all or parts of Darien, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Burr Ridge and Downers Grove, among other communities.
Supervisor signals a smaller levy
Township Supervisor Kim Savage said in a statement on Nov. 4 that the actual levy will likely come in well below the cap voters approved.
"At this time, I estimate that the tax levy will be approximately half of the maximum rate that was approved," Savage said.
The ballot question authorized a maximum annual tax rate of 0.05%, according to Shaw Local's pre-election reporting. Corin Hammond, chairwoman of the Downers Grove Township Mental Health Advisory Committee, told Shaw Local before the election that neighboring townships with mental health boards historically levy closer to 0.025%.
What the new board will do
The referendum creates what Illinois law calls a 708 mental health board. These boards assess community needs and distribute grants to local organizations that provide mental health, developmental disability and substance use services.
Downers Grove Township had been the only one of DuPage County's nine townships without such a board, according to the Advocate for 708 campaign.
Under the plan described before the election, the township supervisor, with guidance from the township board, will appoint a seven- to nine-member volunteer board. A community needs assessment will follow, and local service agencies can then apply for grants, according to Debbie Hare, a spokesperson for the 708 for Downers Grove Township team, in Shaw Local's October reporting.
For comparison, the neighboring Lisle Township mental health board awarded more than $1 million in fiscal year 2026-2027 to local social service agencies, Shaw Local reported. Milton Township's board provided more than $1.3 million to about 25 nonprofits in fiscal year 2026.
Why supporters pushed for it
In a July resolution, the township board said a growing gap exists between available resources and the service needs for mental health, substance abuse and people with intellectual disabilities.
Hare told Shaw Local the new board would fill a different role than the existing DuPage County Crisis Recovery Center. The center handles acute crises, she said, while a broader mental health initiative would focus on prevention, ongoing treatment and post-crisis recovery.
