Platte County withdraws from Tri-County board of trustees
PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- On Monday, the Platte County Commission unanimously voted to terminate its participation in the Clay Platte Ray Mental Health Board (CPR).
"This is an important first step to improving and expanding mental health services for Platte County residents and we expect this action will actually result in increased federal funding for mental health services in Platte County," said Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker.
Fricker also said the withdrawal will pave the way for the Platte County Mental Health Board to oversee approximately $3 million annually in Platte County property tax revenue earmarked for mental health services in the county.
The withdrawal comes as, in 2025 alone, Platte County has contributed $3 million to CPR; however, according to the county commission, persistent issues with CPR's oversight and administration have raised serious concerns about the value of the partnership for residents.
One of the concerns includes the lack of control from the county, which only has two seats on CPR's nine-member board.
Another concern was the lack of transparency. For eight months, the Platte County Presiding Commissioner has sought documentation to confirm that Platte County funds were being used for Platte County residents.
According to a press release from Platte County, CPR staff gave initial resistance, but it was later reported that Platte County tax dollars have been subsidizing services in Clay and Ray counties.
Additionally, the Platte County Commission said there was no program evaluation, stating, "CPR lacks meaningful assessments of program effectiveness, leaving taxpayers without assurance that funds are achieving intended outcomes."
CPR, a publicly funded non-profit, has also had an absence of financial audits, despite managing a $10 million annual budget.
After withdrawing from CPR, the Platte County Commission opted to redirect its $3 million annual mental health budget to a "to-be-formed" Platte County Mental Health Board, stating the "new entity will prioritize transparency, financial oversight, and services tailored to the needs of Platte County residents".
