Colorado Voters Will See A Record Number Of Mental Health Measures On Their Ballots

<p>John Daley/CPR News</p>
<p><span style="color: rgb(64, 69, 64);">Dr. Carl Clark, president and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver, turns in ballot signatures.</span></p>
Photo: Dr. Carl Clark, president and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver
Dr. Carl Clark, president and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver, turns in ballot signatures.

The 2018 ballot for many Coloradans will reflect the dire state of mental health, suicide and addiction in the state.

Voters across multiple counties will consider a dozen proposals to fund mental health services, a record number for the Colorado ballot.

“More and more communities recognize it is much cheaper, smarter and humane to prevent or treat issues of mental illness rather than to ignore it or criminalize it. We've learned that the hard way," Mental Health Colorado CEO and president Andrew Romanoff said.

In Denver County, voters will decide on a tax increase that would raise $45 million per year for a decade for mental health. The money would come from a one-quarter of 1 percent city sales tax.

Mental health measures also appear in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Pitkin, San Miguel and Summit counties. Half of the proposals are specific to school districts and half to counties. Read all of the ballots measures here.