Hinsdale homeowners will vote Tuesday, November 3 on whether to add a new mental health tax to their property tax bills. The cost: roughly $67 a year on a $400,000 home.
The Downers Grove Township Board passed a resolution Monday, July 20 placing the referendum on the ballot. The measure would create the township's first community mental health board and fund services for residents with mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Supporters say Downers Grove Township is the only one of DuPage County's nine townships without such a board, according to the Advocate for 708 campaign website. The township includes all or parts of Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Burr Ridge, Darien, and Downers Grove.
What the ballot question asks
The question voters will see reads: "Shall Downers Grove Township levy an annual tax of not to exceed 0.05% for the purpose of providing community mental health facilities and services for the person with a developmental disability, mental health disorder, or substance use disorder?"
That 0.05% rate is one-third of the maximum 0.15% allowed under the Illinois Community Mental Health Act (405 ILCS 20/1). According to the township's resolution, the additional tax on a home with a fair market value of $100,000 would be approximately $16.67 per year.
What happens if it passes
Township Supervisor Kim Savage would appoint a seven-member community mental health board within 60 days of the vote. That board would decide how to distribute funds, which supporters say would go out as small yearly grants to agencies providing mental health and substance abuse services. Under state law, the township itself cannot campaign for or against the measure, but it can provide factual information.
Context
Savage presented to the Hinsdale Village Board at its Tuesday, September 2, 2025 meeting, outlining township functions and highlighting newly formed youth, mental health, and veteran advisory committees. The referendum formalizes what those advisory committees signaled: a push to expand mental health resources at the township level.
For comparison, Bloomingdale Township in DuPage County formed its 708 board in 2017 after a successful referendum and distributes more than $1 million a year in grants, according to the League of Women Voters of Roselle/Bloomingdale Area.
The "708" name comes from the original House bill that created the Community Mental Health Act, which allows townships to levy property taxes for mental health services with voter approval.
What residents should know
The vote count on the July 20 resolution has not been posted. Meeting minutes from the township board are not yet available; residents can request them from Township Clerk Amanda Roudebush at the township offices at 4341 Saratoga Ave., Downers Grove. No organized opposition to the referendum had surfaced in public records or reporting as of July 23.
The next regular Downers Grove Township Board meeting is Monday, August 17 at 7 p.m.
Hinsdale government week ahead
- Tuesday, August 11, 7 p.m. — Village Board of Trustees, Memorial Hall, 19 E. Chicago Ave. Regular meeting; agenda not yet posted.
- Monday, August 17, 7 p.m. — Downers Grove Township Board, 4341 Saratoga Ave., Downers Grove. First regular meeting since the referendum resolution was adopted.
- Wednesday, August 19, 6:30 p.m. — Hinsdale Zoning Board of Appeals, Memorial Hall, 19 E. Chicago Ave. Rescheduled from the cancelled July 15 meeting; all previously scheduled matters will be heard.
