Woodridge Park District Passes Tax Levy

The Board of Commissioners passed the district's 2011 tax levy with a unanimous vote Tuesday night. 

Residents are invited to voice their opinions about the levy at a public hearing during the meeting. Only one resident did so, asking for taxes to not be increased. 

The park district’s proposed tax levy is $6,022,090, a 4.071 percent increase over last year’s levy of $5,786,532.

Once the district sends its recommended tax levy to the county Clerk's Office, the county will determine the actual tax levy. 

The park district expects the actual tax levy to be a 2.13 percent increase over last year for a total of $5,909,863.

That would mean a $9 increase in the 2012 tax bill for the average Woodridge resident, from $430 to $439. The average home assessed value in Woodridge was $258,399 in 2011, down from $272,976 in 2010, a 5.37 percent decrease. 

Like District 68, the Woodridge Park District was affected in its tax levy calculation by a retiring TIF district. 

For the past 23 years, the property taxes from this TIF, a certain area of land in Bolingbrook, has not gone to its taxing bodies, including the Woodridge Park District. Instead, the money has been used to invest in and develop the area. 

Now that the TIF is expiring, the property taxes from that area will again go to District 68. The good news: It means spreading the tax burden amongst more properties for the future. 

The bad news: The appreciation of the TIF property is $10 million, and that number is seen as "new construction." Per the formula for determining a tax levy, that ups the tax increase the district must ask for to capture the $10 million. 

Not accomodating for new growth would cause the tax rate to become higher for those living within the district, said Mike Adams, park district executive director. 

The money is necessary to fund inflationary increases, the district said, as well as financial commitments like:

• the land acquisition purchase of the School District 99 property and associated legal costs
• capital projects in accordance with federally mandated American with Disabilities Act compliance
• state-mandated contributions
• planned capital replacement and capital development programs," according to the park district's website. 

The district will try to reduce expenses by:

• seeking new grant opportunities for planned projects and recreational programs
• continue to initiate new energy efficiency/sustainable programs and projects to further reduce utility reliance and expense
• reduce health care insurance premiums through continued healthy initiatives for employees to minimize medical claims and employee contributions
• continue strong administrative management of all budgeted expenditures, all in an effort to stretch the tax dollar in order to provide superior and affordable recreational opportunities