Park District: Residents Might Support Tax Bump For New Facility

The Olympia Fields Park District is standing behind a ballot question that will ask residents if they would be willing to pay slightly higher property taxes for a new athletic complex.

After having nearly 300 residents complete a survey, the district said it believes residents will support the property tax increase, which is estimated to be $13.60 per $100,000 in assessed property value. For example, if a resident's property is worth $300,000 they would see a $40.80 increase.

Park District executive director Denise Will presented the survey findings to the Olympia Fields Village Board Monday, along with an explanation for exactly how the money would be used.

"We applied for a $700,000 grant back in November," Will said. "We would use that money and the money from the tax increase to pay for the new building."

Will said the building will cost $4 million to build and the tax increase would bring in $300,000 in additional yearly tax revenue for the park district. But Will said the size and cost of the building will depend largely on whether the district gets the grant.

"If we don't get the grant, it won't be a $4 million facility," Will explained. "It will be a much much smaller facility." 

Will said the survey revealed that the majority of residents would pay some amount of additional tax revenue for a new recreational facility. The survey also showed that more than 70 percent of the responders—Olympia Fields residents—don't use the park district facilities now, a statistic that alarmed Trustee Susan Ormsby.

"I'm just confused," Ormsby exclaimed. "Almost 80 percent of the people are not using the park district at all?"

Upon hearing the news that most park district users are not Olympia Fields residents, Trustee Carolyn Gibson suggested the park district might be skipping a step.

"If people don't know about the programs that you have, before a referendum, I think that would need to be fixed," Gibson said.

Trustee Kelvin Oliver took a different position on the referendum.

"'Build it and they will come' is true," Oliver said, adding that the park district will need to properly take care of this expensive building if it gets it. "There have been concerns as to whether you will be able to maintain the parks. Part of the worry is that this will be another thing you're going to build and not be able to maintain."

Will said the tax increase will be permanent and the extra yearly money would help in maintaining facilities and promoting programs.

Park District vice president Nodee McNeal said residents will appreciate the new facility, which would be built in Bicentennial Park.

"Our people want to be able to go somewhere and walk indoors," McNeal said. "We are envisioning our park district to be one that people in our community want to be in."

Here is what the question will look like on the Olympia Fields ballot:

Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Olympia Fields Park District, Cook County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.136% above the limiting rate for levy year 2009 for the purpose of building, equipping and operating an athletic complex at Bicentennial Park and maintaining, improving and protecting parks and be equal to 0.395% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2010? (1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $572,443.16, and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $873,031.08. (2) For the 2010 levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $13.60. (3) If the proposition is approved, the aggregate extension for 2010 will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition, rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law).