Majority of questions on the financial impact of potential new turf facility
HUNTLEY – When Huntley voters go to the polls in the primary election on March 18, they will be asked the following:
“Shall the Huntley Park District … build and equip an indoor, artificial turf recreation facility; purchase park land; maintain, improve, and preserve parks and facilities; and issue its bonds to the amount of $18,750,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”
The proposed facility is intended to be self-sustaining, with reoccurring operational expenses offset by program and rental fees collected from users.
One of the projected facilities in this proposal has a Sun City connection. The community’s Bocce Ball Club, one of the largest charter clubs, has expressed interest in indoor facilities to keep its sport going year-round.
This proposed new building would be located between Betsey Warrington and Deicke Parks immediately south of the Cosman REC Center.
About $16 million of the project cost would be used for construction of the building, and about $2 million would be used to acquire additional land to replace three little league baseball fields that would be lost if the new facility is built.
Four district officials came to Sun City on March 6 and discussed this proposal with about 75 residents in Fountain View Center. They included Executive Director Thom Palmer, Athletic Director Jeff Ryder, Recreation Director Debbie Kraus, and Eric Anderson, the district’s financial bond counsel. The presentation was sponsored by Sun City’s Civics Committee. Gene Rhodes presided and coordinated submission of questions from audience members after the presentations.
“We are proposing this now because we have an opportunity to take advantage of favorable interest rates and land values, and because our community has told us they would like to see something like this built,” Palmer said. “In the next year or two, we will pay off the bonded debt we used to improve the golf course and Stingray Bay. We are proposing to replace those bonds with this $18 million proposal, without making a major financial impact on our voters.”
On the Park District’s website, it is explained that whether or not the referendum passes, the bond and interest portion of property taxes are anticipated to drop slightly through the next two years.
The big difference would likely come in 2016. That is when, according to the Park District, property tax rates would drop from an estimated $72 in 2015 to $31 in 2016 for a $150,000 home. For 2017-2033, the Park District estimates that rate would drop to $4 and stay around that level.
Should the referendum pass, The Park District’s sites show the same portion of property taxes on a $150,000 home would be $75 in 2015, then drop a dollar to $74 in 2016 and again to $73 for 2017-2033.
Since the new debt would be spread over the next 20 years, homeowners would pay more for bonded debt long range if the referendum is approved than they would if it is defeated.
Residents asked over a dozen questions, almost all on the financial impact of the proposal, short and long range. No one made any comments directly for or against the proposal.
Anderson said that the average homeowner with a $250,000 home pays about $330 to the Park District each year in property taxes. About half of that amount goes to bonded debt, and the other half goes for operational expenses to fund ongoing staff, maintenance, and program expenses.
“We have researched the operation of a similar facility in the DeKalb Park District, which serves a smaller population than ours would,” Ryder said. “Theirs is very popular and is operating at a solidly profitable level. We envision our facility to complement the Huntley High School’s proposed field house, which will not be open to the public and is projected to be geared for high school sports and student recreation. We also hope to use the new facility to expand our space for our summer camps.”
