How Kane County plans to make forest preserve scofflaws pay

For those who make a habit of not paying tickets issued by the Kane County Forest Preserve District, beware: Officials are considering a plan to make you pay - and pay more.

For too many people, a ticket from forest preserve police is just another piece of paper in the recycling bin, but that's costly for the district.

Officers issue about 450 citations each year; of those, roughly 112 of them go unpaid. That means the district collects only about $12,000 of $15,000 it is due.

The scofflaws don't go unnoticed. Each unpaid ticket is handled by Kane County courts, but it's a battle that doesn't yield much of a return. By time the court system takes out fees for enforcing the citation, the district only receives about $2 of a $20 fine.

"If it goes through the system, we basically lose out," forest preserve Commissioner Mark Davoust said.

Commissioners now are considering a proposal to increase fines in the forest preserves: $20 to $35 for parking violations and from $50 to $75 for all other violations. If the tickets aren't paid within 10 days, the fines double to $70 and $150.

District staff members suggested the new fines after consulting a collection agency, which said the more the fine increases after 10 days, the more likely people are to pay on time. Plus, if scofflaw doesn't pay and a ticket goes to court, the forest preserve will see a better return.

The plan comes at a time when commissioners also are contemplating whether to increase the district's tax levy for the first time in three years to make ends meet.

The public safety fine hike likely would generate at least $4,000 for the district, depending on the number and nature of violations. But Mike Gillofo, the district's director of public safety, said the fines aren't about money.

"The purpose for our tickets is not to generate revenue; it's to get compliance," Gillofo said. "All my officers know that. If we can let someone off with a warning, we'll do it. But there's a certain amount out there that just don't get it."

Even with the increases, the cost of getting a ticket in the Kane County forest preserves would be relatively low compared to other counties. Lake County charges $35 for parking violations, but the Fox Valley Park District charges $100 and Will County Forest Preserve District charges $60.

The full forest preserve commission still must vote on the proposal.

Hike: Tickets are more about compliance than revenue, public safety director says