ROCKFORD, IL — A years long effort to replace key members of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board came to an end June 11 when seven board members were reappointed.
Several of the Mental Health Board Members had been serving even though their terms had expired months or even years ago as the Winnebago County Board debated the future of mental health funding.
County Board Member Christina Valdez, D-16, advocated for the reappointments. She argued that although she hasn’t always agreed with Mental Health Board decisions, services funded by the board have helped 18,000 Winnebago County residents.
“I can tell you that the level of care, details, scrutiny, insight and just general trust in the process is there and is in action with the current mental health board members,” Valdez told County Board Members. “We should not throw the baby out with the bathwater because we have some personal feelings about this issue.”
The seven volunteer members reappointed to four-year terms include board president Mary Ann Abate through January 2028; vice president Dick Kunnert through January 2030; secretary Dr. Bill Gorski through January 2030; County Board Member Tim Nabors through January 2030; treasurer Terry Giardini through January 2027; the Rev. K. Edward Copeland through January 2028; and Mohammad Yunus through January 2028.
The 11-member board was formed in 2020 to distribute funds from a half-cent Winnebago County sales tax that collects about $20 million annually and was renewed by voters in November 2024 for another five years. More than three dozen community mental health and substance abuse programs would not exist without it.
Some Winnebago County Board members have raised concerns with how the Mental Health Board conducts its business, how fast it distributes funding and how much it spends on overhead costs.
County Board Member John Butitta, R-8, said he would have preferred to see fresh blood appointed to the Mental Health Board.
“The fund balance of the Mental Health Board is $48.5 million and by the end of the fiscal year, it will grow,” Butitta said. “I’m encouraged that we have impacted 18,000 people in the community and that is great news but sitting with $48 million in bank, could we have impacted more lives? Or are we collecting too much revenue?”
County Board Member Paul Arena, R-7, objected when rules were suspended to eliminate the typical 30-day wait before considering the reappointments saying that some in the public may have wanted to participate in the decision.
“These people have been serving expired for a long time, some of them years,” Arena said. “So, it would make no difference if it were to lay over 30 days and to vote on it tonight denies members of the community an opportunity to engage on the issue.”
But Board Member John Sweeney, R-20, said that he likes that the core Mental Health Board members were being reappointed. He said they are implementing a vision of improved mental health services in Winnebago County that diverts people from the criminal justice system, reduces homelessness and addresses drug and alcohol addiction.
Sweeney said other counties are coming to Winnebago County to learn how the local Mental Health Board has ramped up high-quality services in a relatively short period of time.
“I don’t think changing that course by changing the members at this point would be a wise decision,” Sweeney said. “I support the direction that they’re going and after getting to know some of the folks on the board, just respect and admire their vision and the hard work that they put into it.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Effort to replace Rockford area mental health board members fails
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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By Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star | USA TODAY Network
