(KTTS News) — Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon gave the State of the County address on Thursday.
At the beginning of the speech, Dixon mentioned that commissioners are paying attention to economic changes.
Tax revenues are down 9.4% from the same time last year, and 3% so far this year.
But Dixon spent most of his time focused on the need for better mental health services in Greene County.
“The Springfield-Greene County Health department tells us our suicide mortality rate is 60% higher than the national average. Locally, we have seen suicide deaths increase by 30% since 2015. According to the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, poor mental health and the rate of depression in our community are higher than in Missouri.”
Dixon gave a call to action to do more to address mental health needs in the county.
You can watch Dixon’s comments below or read his full speech in the Facebook post.
