PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A fight is underway to raise money for youth mental health services in Platte County after county commissioners blocked a sales tax that voters approved.

A GoFundMe page launched by Platte County 4 Kids seeks to raise money to pay for legal services to challenge the Platte County Commission’s order not to institute a voter-approved 1/4-cent sales tax. The commission cited state law which states that they can collect tax – no duty levy the tax – which they said gave them the choice to remove the tax. Platte County 4 Kids hopes to go to court to argue otherwise.

“When they said yes, they didn’t think I was saying yes to giving the commissioners discretion to decide whether to go ahead and pass the Children’s Fund tax,” Tom Petrizzo said , CEO of Beacon Mental Health. “They thought I would vote yes and this was going to be created.”

Tag mental healthformerly Tri-County Mental Health, is a nonprofit organization that provides mental health services to youth and adults. The Platte County 4 Kids coalition includes them, Synergy Services and Platte County school districts.

Synergy Services provides short-term housing to homeless youth and families affected by domestic violence. These types of services could also have benefited from the funds generated by the tax.

ALSO READ: Platte County commissioners reject voter-approved youth mental health tax

The question on the November general election ballot sought to establish a children’s services fund that would help fund counseling, crisis and intervention services, among other things. The measure won with 56% of the vote in a election in which 81% of Platte County registered voters cast ballots.

Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker said he was voting to block implementation of the tax because he believes most county residents would oppose a tax on any other service that benefits everyone, such as policing, firefighters, emergency medical services and infrastructure.

“This tax affects everyone in Platte County, not just voters,” Fricker said. “This is a problem in the community and in the family that the government cannot solve.”

Commissioners argued that funding should instead come from health insurance or charitable donations to nonprofits providing services. Commissioner Dagmar Wood highlighted the regressive nature of a sales tax that disproportionately burdens low-income families. She was also concerned about corruption and the indefinite nature of the tax, the text of which contained no sunset clause.

Commissioner Joe Vanover called service organizations that could receive funds from the tax “a select few who think they know better how to raise children than Platte County.”

Jackson County approved an eight cent tax for its Children’s Services Fund in 2016. The following year, Clay County passed a quarter-cent tax to create one as well. Petrizzo said that as a result, these counties are now able to provide more comprehensive services in their schools.

“(They provide) clinically trained prevention specialists in schools as well as clinically trained therapists or counselors who are available to help young people who may be experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or suicidal thoughts,” a describes Petrizzo. “It gives them a ready-made resource, available right at the school, rather than having to call somewhere and try to make an appointment or go to the emergency room.” »

He said the GoFundMe is just the beginning. The group also plans to contact foundations, political action groups and parent groups that might be willing to fund the legal costs of the fight. The group hired an attorney to help get the tax on the ballot after commissioners declined to add it, but Petrizzo said the group has yet to find an attorney for this latest effort .

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