Public Hearing: Weigh in Next Week on Quinn's Plan to Close the Mental Health Center

Residents and others will have the chance to sound off next week on the potential closing of the .

for 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at Georgios Comfort Inn in Orland Park, according to a notice sent Monday by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

The fate of the center falls in part on the commission, which will review a proposal that Gov. Pat Quinn introduced last month as part of a plan to cut state spending.

The notion includes closing seven Illinois facilities, including the local mental health center.

Quinn blamed cuts on lawmakers who gave him a budget that was $2.2 billion shy of what he asked for, he said in September news conference.

The center treated 2,000 patients last year, according a letter sent by elected officials who oppose its closing. It currently employs 207 employees.

Anyone wishing to give oral or written testimony should contact the commission at 217-782-5320. If you wish to attend the hearing, contact Donna Belknap at 217-782-5322.

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