Late last year, Piatt County voters gave the thumbs up to a mental health tax that would establish a Board to direct funds to address the growing mental health and substance abuse needs of the community.

That Board is in the early stages of implementation and organization and as it gains momentum, Piatt County Sheriff Mark Vogelzang is excited for what that could mean for Piatt County.

According to the Sheriff, they are seeing an increase in calls that have a component of mental illness or substance abuse. With a 708 Board, his hope is this will allow better collaboration between community organizations that help with these issues.

Law enforcement in all corners of the country is dealing with increases in response calls involving mental health issues or substance abuse cases. The Sheriff indicates Piatt County is no different.

The Piatt County 708 Board will soon have its first round of tax dollars collected and will be tasked with how to distribute those throughout Piatt County. Sheriff Vogelzang says the Piatt County Mental Health Center is a great resource for Piatt County and helps the Sheriff's Department frequently with any issues they encounter that require its assistance.