A quarter cent sales tax to benefit mental health services for at-risk youth has passed in Platte County.
More than 56 percent of voters approved of the petition initiative.
The Platte County 4 Kids Coalition submitted approximately 8,400 signatures to the Platte County Clerk’s Office in June to place a quarter-cent sales tax initiative on the Nov. 5 ballot. The signature delivery was the culmination of a multi-organizational effort to create a children’s services fund in Platte County.
According to Platte County 4 Kids, establishing a Children’s Services Fund in Platte County would expand mental health and suicide prevention services for tens of thousands of children and teens in Platte County.
The 2022 Missouri Student Survey revealed that nearly 9% of participating Platte County students had seriously considered suicide, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among 10 to 24-year-olds in Missouri.
The effort has been spearheaded by area nonprofits such as Beacon Mental Health and Synergy Services, with the support of over a dozen nonprofit and for-profit businesses in the area, as well as Platte County school districts and the Northland Regional Chamber.
Similar tax initiatives have passed in the neighboring counties of Jackson and Clay with overwhelming success. In 2023, the Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County provided over $15.8 million in funding towards 10 service areas, benefiting over 52,000 children.