Fox Valley parks to seek tax hike

Fox Valley Park District trustees plan to ask voters for a $57 million tax increase in February to help pay for an all-encompassing list of capital projects.

That was the unofficial consensus from Monday's park board meeting. Officials will vote next month to place the question on the Feb. 5 ballot.

The district has reached a point where its parks and facilities are either going to get better or worse, Executive Director Steve Messerli said.

"We'd like to move it up from good to great," he said.

The requested funds would help pay for an estimated $71 million list of capital projects that the district hopes to tackle over the next six years.

That amount includes $18 million for acquiring open land, $3.5 million for improving regional trails, $9.5 million for updating parks, $2 million for renovating athletic fields and tennis courts, $12 million for developing the Stuart Sports Complex, $3 million for improving aquatic parks and $3 million for expanding Blackberry Farm.

The $14 million needed to finish the list of projects would come from grants, other district funds and developer donations.

The tax increase means the owner of a home valued at $200,000 would be asked to pay an extra $29.14 a year, park leaders say. Broken down, that amounts to about $2.43 a month, Messerli said, or about the price of a gallon of milk.

Now is the right time to seek an increase, he said, as the district's capital funds are nearly depleted.

Leaders also are hoping to build on the success of a $33 million referendum request that 71 percent of voters approved in 2002.

And there is reason to think patrons would support another increase: 61 percent of respondents said they would support a $40 million referendum request in a survey done last fall.

If the district isn't able to get extra funds, Messerli said it will have little to no money to buy land. Parks and facilities would continue to deteriorate, trail improvements will take longer and other projects will be delayed "by multiple years," he said.

Park trustees seemed to favor the plan.

"As far as we're concerned, we're ready to do it now," Emily DeMar said. "Now it's up to the people."

Several residents also urged the board to seek the request. No one spoke against it.

"I think it's a great idea," said Charlie Zine. "I'd go for the maximum amount and I think you'd have a lot of support out there."