Carol Stream Taxes May Rise to Improve Parks

By Jack Komperda, Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2004


After a four-year spending spree on things like a million-dollar mini-golf course and an in-line skate park, the Carol Stream Park District is taking the first steps in earmarking money for improvements.

The park district was given some financial leeway late last year after the state legislature gave 15 park districts the power to borrow money without getting approval from voters first. Property taxes would be increased to pay back the money.

Under the new law, the district can borrow $319,000 a year, which can be used to upgrade older equipment and facilities.

But rather than working on piecemeal upgrades, Carol Stream Park District officials want to take out a $2.5 million loan to handle several projects at once.

"The idea is to have a more regular source of money for repairs," said park district Director Arnie Biondo.

Included in the preliminary plans are upgrades to old trucks and mowers, playground improvements at several parks and $500,000 budgeted to buy land.

According to a draft of the capital improvement plan, the district would borrow the full amount for the first three years then scale down to about $200,000 in 2007 and beyond.

Based on next year's projected property values in the village, the owner of a $250,000 home would pay about $20 more in property taxes to repay the loans, said park district business director Carole Christensen.

Park district officials turned to the borrowing option after residents voted down four consecutive tax increase requests since 2000.

"All we want to do is make sure our facilities - whether they're ball fields, playgrounds, or vehicles - are taken care of," said Commissioner Brian Sokolowski.

To cut costs, the park district eliminated the annual "Family Days Festival" last year, closed Collins pool for the fall session, and considered a fifth tax increase request before the Legislature adopted the change to the tax cap law.

The park district is winding down the last of several expansion projects funded by a $12 million tax-increase referendum residents approved in 2000.

Biondo said a main goal behind the projects included creating more revenue-producing amenities to boost the maintenance fund.

That, he said, has proven true with attendance spikes at Coral Cove water park following a $2.7 million renovation of the facility.

May marks the opening of McCaslin Park's $1 million 18-hole, mini-golf course, which Biondo expects to generate as much as $100,000 a year in revenue.

The district is also expected to complete Red Hawk Park this fall, a new 42-acre site near Kuhn Road and North Avenue.

While the district's newfound power to borrow money was originally touted as a way to keep Collins pool from permanently closing, district officials say they won't spend more than $15,000 to keep it open.

"The park district's maintenance issue is bigger than just Collins Pool," Sokolowski said.

"At some point, our commissioners are going to have to make a decision on when to close Collins down. It's an old, outdated facility, and if we have something catastrophic happen, do we just keep band-aiding the problem?"

On April 12 the park district will be discussing the results of a survey assessing the area's recreational needs.

Officials hope they can glean some insight on how best to handle the aging pool and the general future of the park district.