How Much Will Local Pools Cost Taxpayers This Year?

Photo credit: Village of Grayslake

Operating and maintaining a community pool can be a costly business.

And when a city-run pool does not make any money, or even break even, in a given year, taxpayers are left to foot the bill, the Daily Herald reports.

So, what is that expected to mean for Grayslake taxpayers this year?

Not much, a Daily Herald investigation found. Unlike many communities that are slated to lose money on their pools, Grayslake is expected to make just over $7,171 this year.

Nearby, the Libertyville Park District is is expected to break even on its pool operations, making $944 in the coming year.

Maintenance costs, the weather and a “glut of entertainment options” when it comes to pools and aquatic centers in the suburbs has lead to increased operational costs and lower revenue for many communities, the Daily Herald investigation found.

“I think there’s a degree of the community that does go elsewhere because it has a little more to offer,” Wood Dale Park District Executive Director Matthew Ellmann toldthe Daily Herald. “Society as a whole, people want the more, the new, the next greatest thing. At some point we’ll have to address that.”

Take a look at what other communities throughout the suburbs are expected to spend on their pool operations this year on the Daily Herald website.