H ELPING K ANE C OUNTY R ESIDENTS WHO HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL D ISABILITIES

People who become severely and permanently disabled before age 22. Most are born with their disabilities. These disabilities are not the result of personal or life style choices. Most are mentally disabled or mentally and physically disabled. Most do not have the ability to care for themselves or the capacity to live independently. WHO IS DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED?

Developmental disabilities include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, autism, muscular dystrophy, blindness, psychotic disorders. People who have developmental disabilities are the sons and daughters, and the brothers and sisters of your neighbors, friends and colleagues. WHO IS DISABLED?

Kane County has 10,000 residents who have developmental disabilities and need life long help. Kane County has another 10,000 residents who have disabilities and need less intensive help. More than 1,000 Kane County residents who need help are on a waiting list that grows monthly. There are 16,640 school children currently in Kane County special education programs. Half of these children will require community help as they reach age 21. People now cared for at home will increasingly require residential placement and other community support as a record number of parents exceed age 65. HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED HELP?

H OUSING Supervised apartment and group home living so that people who have disabilities will not become warehoused or homeless. J OBS Sheltered workshops, employment training and job placement so that people who have disabilities can work or become employable. T RANSPORTATION Para transit services to get to work, medical care, church, shopping, social and recreational resources. R ESPITE Temporary relief for families caring for disabled loved ones at home. WHAT HELP IS NEEDED?

Few families have the financial resources to pay for the life care services required by adult loved ones who have developmental disabilities. Federal and state funds which support care programs are declining significantly. Illinois ranks 48 th of 50 states in the amount spent per capita on home and community based services for people who have developmental disabilities. The delay in State payment to cash strapped organizations providing care means money comes 4-5 months after services are provided. WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE?

While federal and state funds are declining, local needs are increasing. Significant numbers of Kane County children will need to transition at age 21 from school to adult services requiring housing, jobs, training, transportation and respite. People with disabilities being cared for at home will also require housing and other community services in the future as baby boomer parents age. WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE? 7

Local Funding for People Who Have Developmental Disabilities WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

An existing State statute authorizes a county referendum where citizens vote whether to levy a property tax to fund disability services. Under this referendum, the people decide whether to levy a property tax and not the County Board. The referendum can be placed on the ballot by citizen petition or by County Board resolution. HOW WOULD LOCAL FUNDING WORK?

If approved by the voters, the referendum enables a real estate tax levy not to exceed 0.1% of equalized assessed value equivalent to approximately $66 per year for a $200,000 home. If approved by the voters, up to $13 million would be available to help Kane County residents who have developmental disabilities. HOW WOULD LOCAL FUNDING WORK?

Funds approved by this referendum are administered and disbursed by a Developmental Disabilities Board appointed by the County Chairperson with the advice and consent of the County Board. Funds approved by this referendum do not count against the County tax cap and thus do not interfere with other County expenditures. HOW WOULD LOCAL FUNDING WORK?

Housing may disappear and more Kane County residents with disabilities will become institutionalized or homeless. Workshops, job training and job placement may disappear and more Kane County residents with disabilities will become or remain unemployed. Transportation may disappear and more Kane County residents who have disabilities will become isolated with less access to medical care, church, shopping and other community resources. What Will Happen If We Don’t Act?

Respite services may disappear and more Kane County families will become unable to continue care at home. Families with disabled loved ones will become hopeless and dangerously stressed financially and emotionally. The lives of people with disabilities will have less dignity and purpose and the quality of life in Kane County as a whole will be diminished. What Will Happen If We Don’t Act?

A resolution requires only a majority vote of the County Board whereas a petition requires approximately 25,000 signatures. A petition is an unreasonable and unrealistic burden to impose on residents who are developmentally disabled, who act largely through volunteer representatives and who already have enough barriers in their lives. Both the resolution and the petition do nothing more than place the referendum on the ballot so that the voters of Kane County can decide. WHY A RESOLUTION RATHER THAN A PETITION?

A public opinion survey of registered voters in Kane County was commissioned and performed in June Even before a public education campaign, the survey showed that 57.6% of Kane County voters favored the referendum and 38.8% opposed the referendum. Based on the overwhelming need and the current public support, a resolution placing the referendum on the ballot is warranted. A referendum is the truest expression of democracy and it should be welcomed. WHY A RESOLUTION RATHER THAN A PETITION?

We seek to place the referendum on the ballot for the general election on April 9, The last date the County Board can pass a resolution placing the referendum on that ballot is January 22, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?