Carol Stream Park District raises taxes

By Jack Komperda Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Tuesday, May 25, 2004


The Carol Stream Park District approved borrowing $2.8 million in bonds Monday night without voter approval.

The park district was given some financial leeway late last year, when the state legislature gave 15 park districts the power to borrow money without first getting approval from voters.

Park district officials hope to use the money on a variety of parks improvement projects laid out during a March capital improvement planning session.

Under the new law, the district can borrow $319,000 a year. But rather than working on upgrades piecemeal, park district officials decided to use their new revenue stream to take out a $2.8 million loan.

"It's going to answer a lot of things we were going to have to go to referendum for," park district Commissioner Mark Carlin said.

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

The district's newfound borrowing power was originally touted as a way to keep Collins pool from permanently closing, but district officials had budgeted only $15,000 yearly to keep it running.

Park officials also said low interest rates gave them the opportunity to borrow $300,000 more than they had originally planned. The owner of a $250,000 home now will pay $16.80 more in property taxes to the district this year.

Although Commissioner Brenda Gramann urged park district staff members to revisit the preliminary plans and spend the new funds on projects that residents have deemed a priority, like walking trails and Collins pool, it was not clear what the park district will spend the money on.

"We need to stop, take a minute and make sure we're all on the same page," Gramann said.

Park district officials turned to this borrowing option because residents have rejected four consecutive tax increase requests since 2000. The park district is winding down the last of several expansion projects funded by a $12 million tax increase residents approved in 2000.

One of those projects, the Coyote Crossings Miniature Golf Course on North Avenue, will open June 5. A new, 42-acre park near Kuhn Road and North Avenue is expected to be done by this fall.