Developmental disabilities tax

At press time, Referendum One, which will create a Developmental Disabilities Board for Champaign County, looked like it would pass.

With 70 of 118 precincts reporting, 64 percent of voters agreed to a tax increase that will raise money for the creation of the board.

According to a steering committee of representatives from several local organizations, the system for developmentally disabled people in Champaign County is in crisis. Wiith the passing of the referendum, more funding will be created to meet the needs of more than 1,800 developmentally disabled people residing in Champaign County.

The organizations involved in the committee include Parent Resource Organization for the Understanding of Developmental Disabilities and Delays (PROUDD), the Down Syndrome Network, Champaign County Advocacy and Mentoring Resource (CCAMR), Developmental Services Center (DSC), Project 18, Family Services of Champaign County and the CU Autism Network. Other concerned parents and individuals also have voiced support for the referendum.

Holly Jordan, chair of the steering committee, said it is unacceptable for there to be a long wait to receive the much-needed services.

DSC Director Dale Morrissey said the creation of the board will probably be the biggest advancement for developmentally disabled people in Champaign County in the last 30 years.

A developmental disability is a severe and chronic condition such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and mental retardation. Morrissey said some people have more than one of these conditions. Developmental disability affects about one in every 100 people, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services.

State funding for those with developmental disabilities is decreasing, yet the population of developmentally disabled people is increasing, Jordan said. Most responsible for the increase is the fall in the mortality rate of children with low birth weights.

Four main areas will be funded by the tax: children’s services, residential services, adult day programs and vocational training and community employment services.

Urbana city council at-Large

Urbana’s government will most likely stay the same for now.

According to results at press time, 59 percent of Urbana residents voted against the at-large representation referendum, which aimed to elect an additional two members to the Urbana City Council who would represent the whole city.

With the dismissal of the referendum, Urbana will continue to have a seven-member council, whose members are elected to represent individual wards.

The local group Plus 2 For Urbana supported at-large seats, while its opposing group, Vote No At-Large, opposed the seats. Both groups were campaigning in Urbana by sending mail, holding forums and going door-to-door.

At the Brookens Administrative Center, 1776 E. Washington Ave. in Urbana, council members like Ruth Wyman gathered to await incoming results.

Wyman said she was against the addition of two at-large seats. Because of huge voter turnout in student precincts, Wyman said she expected the referendum to fail.

“More than 250 cities have eliminated at-large seats over the last 20 years,” Wyman said. “I see no reason to add them in Urbana.”

County Elections Commission

With 70 of 118 precincts reported, voters have tentatively decided against the institution of a board of election commissioners.

Champaign County’s election process is now and will continue to be managed by the county clerk, Mark Shelden.

At press time, 54 percent of voters decided against Referendum Two, which would have created the board of election commissioners.

Bob Kirchner, county board member for District 9, said the referendum surfaced in part as a reaction to the voting problems in Florida during the last presidential election. A federal commission created after that election – headed by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford – recommended that communities either create bi-partisan election commissions or elect a bi-partisan official to ensure a fair voting process.

If the referendum passes, it will move the county clerk’s duties in running elections to the commission. The clerk would retain his or her other duties, including keeping the county’s vital records