Park District to seek support on November ballot

This Election Day, the Plainfield Park District will have a question on the ballot asking voters if they are willing to support a 5-cent increase in the Park District’s operational rate. Although it would be a small increase to a homeowner’s overall tax bill, the impact on the Park District would be significant. Such an increase would provide the district with approximately $1 million per year, about a 10 percent increase in its current operating budget.

Approximately half of the money generated would be used to improve existing operations, including the purchase of park maintenance equipment, the hiring of park maintenance staff, as well as the creation of a horticulture department. This would benefit the Park District by increasing efficiencies and extending the life of facilities and park amenities such as playgrounds, as well as enhancing the beauty of Park District properties.

The other half would be used to fund capital projects that the Park District has not been able to afford. This would include the development of the Ridge Road Sports Complex, an 80-acre parcel in the Park District’s southwest sector purchased with money from a 2000 referendum. Other capital projects would include the development of active and passive recreation areas on the Clow Stephens property in the Park District’s southeast sector, as well as the completion of Renwick Community Park including the expansion and lighting of ball fields and parking lots.

Other possible projects could include the completion of Northwest Community Park, including the lighting of sports fields and parking lots and the construction of a concession building with restrooms, as well as work on other community parks such as Eaton Preserve and the Avery Preserve at Four Seasons Park. In addition, the Park District would be able to purchase additional land while it is still available, allowing for the development of a desirable community environment.

More information about the November referendum will be available on the Park District’s web site. Informational sessions will also be scheduled in the community. If you are interested in having someone speak to your group about the referendum, please call the Plainfield Park District at (815) 436-8812.

Plainfield Park District population booms while tax rate declines

As the Plainfield Park District celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, it isn’t hard to see how much has changed since the Park District was founded in 1966.

Just 20 years ago, the Park District employed five full-time employees and maintained five park sites including the Ottawa Street Pool. The population of the Park District at the time was 15,000. By 1990, the Park District had 187 acres of land and served an estimated population of 20,000 people. Then between 1990 and 2000, the area’s population increased by nearly 200 percent.

Today, the Park District employs more than 250 people including 30 full-time employees, and maintains six facilities and 80+ parks consisting of more than 1,400 acres. It covers more than 40 square miles and encompasses all of Plainfield Township and portions of Wheatland Township in Will County and Na-Au-Say Township in Kendall County, including areas of Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Joliet, Plainfield, and Romeoville, as well as some unincorporated areas. The Plainfield Park District now serves a population of more than 100,000 people.

This rapid growth has presented the Park District with many challenges over the years, and the district has responded to these issues with fiscal responsibility. By thinking creatively, seeking grant opportunities and other funding sources, partnering with other governmental agencies, and working with local developers, the Park District has been able to address basic community needs and provide acceptable standards in an affordable way.

For example, land obtained from developers has provided for neighborhood parks and recreation centers, including the Streams Recreation Center in the Park District’s southwest sector. Developer contributions also paved the way for the opening of the Normantown Trails Equestrian Center just north of Route 30 on Normantown Road. A combination of land acquisition and grant funding allowed for the completion of Northwest Community Park in the Park District’s northwest sector.

The Park District has demonstrated good stewardship of tax dollars. According to a 2003 survey conducted by the Bolingbrook Park District, the Plainfield Park District can only afford to spend an average of $414 per acre maintaining its grounds. On the other hand, 18 of the other 19 park districts surveyed spend more than $1,000 per acre, and some more than $3,000 per acre, to maintain their park sites. This is because when compared to 10 neighboring park districts of similar demographics, the Plainfield Park District tax rate and the comparative amount of tax dollars spent per resident ranks last by a large margin (see the graph below).

The Plainfield Park District is approaching a critical juncture. The area the Park District serves continues to experience aggressive growth. However, the district’s tax rate is declining faster than the value of area homes is increasing.

As you can see by the graph below, the Park District’s tax rate has been declining for many years. This is primarily due to the 1991 tax cap, which abolished taxing bodies’ ability to collect a sufficient amount of taxes to meet community needs through their tax levies. It also limits taxing bodies’ abilit to issue bonds (or debt) to build facilities and fund other capital projects. Because of the tax cap, taxing bodies like the Plainfield Park District must seek voter approval through a referendum to issue bonds or increase their operating tax rate. This has severely limited the Park District’s ability to keep up with the rapid population growth.

The Park District recognizes these challenges and continues to seek efficiencies in its operation to meet the needs of the community, using existing resources while seeking out alternate ways of generating necessary revenue. However, without an infusion of additional funds in the near future, the condition of existing facilities will decline and the Park District’s ability to maintain and replace them will be uncertain.