The increase in tax revenue is needed to finance a number of deferred projects which will cost up to $200m to implement. These projects include fixing cracked pavements in parking lots and fighting off foreign pests, which threaten the indigenous species of fauna and flora. Residents of Orland Park already pay a large part of the Forest Preserve District’s $120m budget.
According to Benjamin Cox from Friends of the Forest Preserve:
“You have this giant conservation district that is woefully understaffed and underfunded. They do an incredible job with what they’ve got, and that just wasn’t the case even a few years ago.”
Alternatively, the Forest Preserve District could ask for extra funds from the state however the officials in charge would rather avoid that. The tax increase is not yet confirmed, and residents would need to approve the move through a referendum vote. The people in charge have to decide on whether they will include voters in the issue. If they do decide on a referendum, voters could can informed of such matters using mail with official Letterheads.
Homeowners already pay up to $45 per year to preserve the local wildlife. The proposed tax increase could increase that amount by about $20, and even then the commissioners are not certain that it will be sufficient.Get a Free Quote for Letterheads