Dundee Township Park District program and facility fees may go up over the next three years as the district tries to recoup some of its operational costs.
Colorado-based 110% Inc. recommended the fee structure be adjusted after completing a financial sustainability strategy review and suggesting the district alter its philosophy from providing those services at no or low cost to one that helps the district recover direct and indirect expenses related to them.
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In the report, presented to the park board Wednesday, the firm urged the district to increase the fees over a three-year period to avoid causing a burden for residents, according to the report. That would also give staff time to share the reasons for fee changes with the community, monitor potential impacts, evaluate customer responses and make adjustments as needed.
Park district staff will use a list of criteria, including how popular programs are and what percentage the district is recovering of its cost, in determining where fees should be set.
One example cited in the study is the daily drop-in admission for the aquatics center, which was set at $12 in the 2024-25 fiscal year. The total revenue collected was $168,294 but the cost to the district was $731,323. Under the proposal, the fee would increase to $23 over three years, which would help the district cover 89.9% of the cost by the third year, according to the study.
“It’s a good example of one (program) that is falling short of the cost recovery goals that we as a board and staff need to look at,” Dundee Township Executive Director Dave Peterson said.
The Randall Oak Zoo preschool was another program in which fees may need to go up. It generated $101,859 in revenue in 2024-25 but cost the district $169,173. Consultants recommended escalating the annual fee by $72 — or 12.5% — over the next three years from the $420 currently being charged.
District officials will use the new guidelines in setting higher fees as it goes into the 2027-28 budget year but will also be mindful of how the increases could impact families, Peterson said.
Affordability is “very important to our taxpayers and families,” he said. “We certainly don’t want to increase fees where we don’t have participants coming to our programs.”
The study helped the district get a “true understanding of the indirect costs” it takes to run programs and facilities, Peterson said. Staff will also look at ways to cut expenses, he said.
Not every program or facility fee will increase, he said.
“We are just trying to put ourselves in a better (financial) position,” Peterson said. “The whole reason we did this study was because we are falling short and we continue to fall short in our capital needs from year to year. I really think this will help the agency have more money set aside to have a better grip on year-to-year capital needs.”
The district has many capital improvement projects it needs to complete, including a new clubhouse at Bonnie Dundee Golf Course in Carpentersville and a replacement for the Sleep Hollow pool, which is expected to be demolished soon.
Dundee Township Park District’s five-year capital improvement plan calls for $3 million to $5 million in funding a year, Peterson said.
“We right now, we are able to do in the $2 (million) to $2.5 million range. We are falling short with what our capital needs are and capital funding,” he said.
Another consultant recommendation is that the district establish a dedicated infrastructure reinvestment fund to “provide a predictable and ongoing source of funding for the repair, renewal, replacement, and modernization of major park and recreation assets.” The fund would help the district move away from relying on annual operating resources and one-time funding opportunities to fund the work or making capital decisions when major repairs or replacements become necessary.
Staff is reviewing the report and learning how to apply the criteria to different programs before officially approving it in December, Peterson said. The park board also plans to hold a workshop in the next few months, he said.
Also Wednesday, the board approved the sale of $2.4 in general obligation bonds for the payment of land for parks and for building maintenance. The bonds will be sold next month and don’t require the district to seek voter approval in a referendum.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.