The DeKalb County Nursing Home needs money and residents will be able to decide if they get it.

The DeKalb County Board voted 20-3 at its Jan. 16 meeting to make the question of a property tax levy to benefit the DeKalb County Home, 2331 Sycamore Road, a referendum to be decided with the April 2 election.

If the board had voted against making the tax levy a referendum, it would have voted whether the tax levy should be raised.

If the referendum passes, the tax levy will be raised 5 to 10 cents per $100 of real estate. The increased tax levy would also affect businesses.

County Board member Thomas Gary said the board decided to have the vote because “it is a separate tax levy and it has to be brought before the people.”

The referendum first came up in 1989, but “the issue was put off because the state received money from elsewhere,” he said.

County Board member Ronald Matekaitis said he voted against the referendum for a number of reasons.

“The amount of money generated by the levy is sufficient to operate the home for only two and one-half more years,” he said.

Matekaitis also said he received the financial information 10 minutes before the meeting and he felt that was not “adequate time to … make a decision.”

A committee was formed to access the long-range terms of keeping the home running, he said.

Matekaitis also said the county has a $2 million dollar property they could sell to benefit the county home. “Not only would that money support the county home, the revenue would be enough for the state to have additional dollars,” he said.