Alternate Revenues

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will one day need to ask for an increase of the rate of its operating portion of the tax levy. It might be surprising to many, but the District has only recovered the inflation of money each tax year. With the additional development in DuPage, the tax rate has actually gone down 9 of the last 10 years, the Land Acquisition Referendum year being the only exception.

Meanwhile, we have added miles of trails, added dog parks, picnic shelters, etc. All of this adds pressure to the operation budget. In the near term we have covered a tax shortfall in the operating budget by setting up a plan that uses interest from the landfill funds that we have saved up to cover any potential environmental problems at the landfills. This has secured our operating budget for the next five years at the same level we enjoy today. However, as DuPage's population grows and with the increased pressure of the inflow of 'daytime only residents', there will be a demand for more parking, trails, and other facilities. It does not appear that the interest from the landfill funds will suffice beyond five years, especially if we add the facilities that are already in planning, such as, the Peabody Mansion rehab, the Willowbrook Wildlife Center expansion, St. James Farm... Some of these projects will generate revenues of their own, like the banquet facility and tea room at Mayslake. Still, there will be the need to locate additional money to run everything, or there will be a reduction in services.

So what is my point? Well, nobody likes more taxes. So I will be pushing at the District to develop more alternative revenue sources to help relieve the need to raise taxes. I am not so overly optimistic to think that we can completely avoid a request
for more operating funds after five years, but perhaps we can push out the date some years and not have to ask for as much when we do.