The Saline County Commission voted unanimously Monday to establish a new tax levy fund specifically for mental health services, formalizing the county's financial relationship with Central Kansas Mental Health Center.
The resolution, numbered 25-2432, was presented by County Administrator Philip Smith-Hanes during the July 22 meeting.
"For a number of years, we have been treating Central Kansas Mental Health Center as an outside allocation agency," Smith-Hanes explained to commissioners. "The county is actually legally mandated to provide mental health services either through an in-house county department or through a contract such as we have with Central Kansas Mental Health."
The new fund is being created as part of the county's budget discussions for 2026. Rather than continuing to treat the mental health center as an outside allocation agency, the new approach will establish it as a special fund with dedicated tax revenue.
Smith-Hanes indicated he had found statutory authority for establishing such a fund, and noted that the county clerk needs an official resolution to establish it in the tax system.
When questioned about the tax rate, Smith-Hanes clarified that the resolution only establishes the fund structure and does not set specific funding levels at this time.
Smith-Hanes compared the new arrangement to the county's "2 mill fund" that supports bridge and culvert work, noting that like that fund, the mental health levy would apply countywide rather than to a specific district.
Commissioner Shadwick suggested the change would benefit both parties, stating, "I think it helps them with their budgeting too. There's some consistency there that they know that they're going to get a set amount every year from the county."
The resolution was adopted without opposition.
