McLean County approves one-time audit of shared mental health sales-tax fund after public objections to proposed pause

McLean County Executive Committee members voted to authorize a one-time external review of the county’s Mental Health and Public Safety Fund after weeks of public concern about a proposed pause in shared sales-tax contributions.

County Administrator Cassie Taylor summarized the fund's finances and projections during the meeting, saying the county had received $38,646,649 in shared sales tax since the fund began and that, under current spending plans, the fund balance could decline from roughly $20 million at the end of 2024 to about $10 million by the end of 2027. Taylor said a one-year pause in contributions would reduce projected 2027 reserves to roughly $4.9 million.

Why it matters: The shared sales-tax money supports community behavioral-health services, criminal-justice programs, debt service on the county’s jail expansion and a countywide integrated justice information system. Commenters warned that pausing funding would disrupt services, reduce access to care and risk losing programs that rely on steady multi-year funding.

Public comments: Kevin McCall, a Bloomington-Normal therapist, urged board members not to approve a pause. “Without a binding reinvestment plan, there's no guarantee that funding will return,” McCall said. He warned that pauses “often become elongated, indefinite, and quietly permanent” and said they risk staff departures and program closures.

Stephanie Barish, a mental-health provider and chair of the Mental Health and Public Safety Fund Advisory Council, said the county recently restructured advisory bodies to speed spending and that projects are already underway. “Now is not the time to reduce those available supports,” Barish said, citing federal funding instability and local programs that depend on county dollars.

Kim Bridal, chief clinical officer at McLean County Center for Human Services, said pausing funds would “put a strain on our already strained and underfunded system” and increase demand on crisis teams, hospitals and other providers.

County presentation and questions: Taylor described revenue growth after a 2021 legislative change and explained that the county prioritized grant-seeking (including federal grants) as a “payer of last resort.” She noted the fund currently pays roughly 31% of debt service tied to the jail expansion — about $1.1 million annually — and that the county will rely more on the Mental Health and Public Safety Fund in 2026 after ARPA funds used on the integrated justice project are exhausted.

Board debate and decision: Several board members pressed for clarity about the specific concerns prompting calls for a pause. Member Klein and Member Byrne said an audit might be reasonable but asked for a clearer problem statement before spending county funds. Member Layman and others said, given public pressure, approving the one-time audit was warranted to preserve intergovernmental relationships.

The committee approved a resolution to pay for an external review capped at $50,000; the motion was made by Member Cline and seconded by Member Reeves. The chair noted one member voted no; the meeting record does not identify that member by name.

What the resolution does — and does not — do: The approved measure funds a single audit/review; committee members said any additional audits would require a separate intergovernmental amendment. Board members said the audit’s scope (financial only, procedural, timeframe covered) will be defined in the procurement/RFP process and brought back for board review before the contract is awarded.

Context and next steps: Taylor said staff will share the most recent intergovernmental reports with the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal and that the BHCC (Behavioral Health Coordinating Council) and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council plan strategic documents for release in October. Members also emphasized that advisory restructuring to expedite funding is recent (about a year) and that many grant-funded projects are still underway.

Ending: The committee’s decision to fund a one-time review resolves the immediate request from municipal partners for a closer accounting of the fund. Board members said they expect the audit procurement and scope to be presented to the full board before any contract is executed.