Naperville Park District is moving ahead with a $23.2 million levy that could raise property taxes by $17 for the average homeowner to maintain the quality amenities residents have come to expect, officials said.
The levy, which is the amount of money the district anticipates to collect from property taxes, represents a 6% increase over last year’s $21.9 million request.
Property taxes account for more than half the park district’s total budgeted revenues for 2023.
At a recent park board meeting, Finance Director Sue Stanish said if the levy is approved, the owner of a $421,000 home will pay $406 in property taxes to the district next year, $17 more than the previous year.
The park board unanimously agreed to levy amount and set Dec. 8 as the date it will be officially approved.
During board discussion prior to agreeing to the levy, Commissioner Rich Janor asked if it might be more prudent increase program fees rather than burdening older adults on fixed income with a tax hike, especially since most don’t use park programs.
While he agreed fee hikes won’t cover all the increased costs, the district could take more of a hybrid approach to lessen the effect, Janor said.
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“More fees are unpleasant. Property taxes are unpleasant. It’s all unpleasant,” he said. “Again, should we be more focused on more of a kind of a sniper-rifle approach to this problem of increased cost inflation and focus on people that are actually consuming services?”
Commissioner Alison Thompson countered that residents who don’t spend money on programming still benefit from park amenities that are free.
In the last 10 years alone, the district has added:
31 picnic/shade shelters,
7 miles of paths,
12 dedicated pickleball courts,
2 splash pads,
A fitness court,
Fort Hill Activities Center,
Knoch Knolls Nature Center,
95th Street Community Plaza at Frontier Sports Complex,
Wolf’s Crossing Community Park.
“The park district is a huge reason that people come to this community” and why property values remain strong, Thompson said.
And the free features still need to be maintained, she said.
“They need to be updated, and they need to be kept to the standards that Naperville citizens expect from us. And we can’t do that just with wishes and hopes,” Thompson said.
Commissioner Marie Todd said that thanks to inflation, the price of everything has gone up, including grass seed, gas to mow the fields and staff pay as the result of state minimum wage requirements.
The district is asking the average homeowner to pay $17, she said.
“I think that’s a bargain in terms of what we have to do and what they’re getting for that extra money and how high inflation may go,” Todd said. “We have to maintain what we already own. … Let’s not be short-sighted here.”
Commissioner Josh McBroom said he’d be hesitant to raise fees because during economic downturns, people tend to use park services more. Instead, he’d prefer putting a damper on big projects, he said.
While no fee increases are planned for the Centennial Beach or the Fort Hill Activity Center, golf course greens fees and the cost of summer day camps will increase in 2023, park officials said.
Stanish said with the renovations completed at the Springbrook Golf Course, the district is looking at what the market can bear and still provide a good value at the Springbrook and Naperbrook courses.
Parks Executive Director Brad Wilson said the cost of field trips during day camp is rising because of the higher price of school bus transportation, which will be passed along in the campers’ fees.
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