Joliet Park District Executive Director Will Be Leaving Soon

JOLIET, IL - At this time of year, people are normally counting down the days to the Joliet Park District's popular Taste of Joliet event. It's only a month away. But this year is different because the Joliet Park District has put itself in financial trouble. Next week, the Joliet Park Board will vote on approving a separation agreement to part ways with Executive Director Tom Carstens.

The 5 p.m. Monday, May 20 meeting agenda for the Joliet Park District Board includes the following item for action: "Approval of Separation Agreement with Executive Director.

On Friday, Joliet Patch left a message seeking comment from Carstens about his apparent departure. His answering machine at the Inwood Athletic Center indicated that "Carstens would be out of the office from May 3 through May 16."

Carstens has been in charge of the Joliet Park District these past few years. The previous executive director resigned in the midst of a sexual harassment investigation, a case that cost the Joliet Park District $375,000 in an out-of-court lawsuit settlement.

Late last year, the Joliet Park District opened the new multi-million dollar Nowell Park Recreation Center off Mills Road. Many people in the community now believe the Nowell Park center has not generated the number of new memberships and revenue that the Park District had anticipated when it asked voters to approve a tax increase to pay for the construction project, which they did.

Then, on April 2, the Joliet Park District asked the voters of Joliet to approve a 58-percent tax increase to help maintain the staff's current operations and make general improvements to a number of facilities and parks.

However, the proposal failed and opposition was more than 70 percent.

Weeks later, Carstens showed up at a Joliet City Council meeting asking the city for a handout to keep Splash Station Water Park open this summer. The city council balked at the idea because Splash Station has been regarded as a money pit for several years.

Splash Station will now be closed for this summer to help the Park District chip away its deficit.