Urge U.S. Congress to Reinvest in Parks

Plus, new Truth-in-Taxation rules for Cook County

ON THE NATIONAL SCENE, one of the most exciting opportunities for proponents of parks and recreation in recent memory is the passage of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 (CARA, HR 701), out of the House Interior Committee. This legislation provides substantial funding—$2.825 billion for national projects and $53.3 million for Illinois—for state and local acquisition and development of park land.

The following is the projected national annual funding and estimated annual allocation of these funds to Illinois from the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 by Title.

Title l
Impact Assistance and Coastal Conservation
$1 billion (national)
$12.8 million (Illinois)

Title II
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
$900 million (national)
$16.3 million (Illinois state)

Title III
Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Fund
$350 million (national)
$13.2 million (Illinois)

TitleIV
Urban Park & Recreation Recovery (UPARR)
$125 million (national)
$8.2 million (Illinois)

Title V
Historic Preservation Fund
$100 million (national)
$2.0 million (Illinois)

Title VI
Federal & Indian Lands Restoration
$200 million (national)

Title VII
E & T Conservation Easements and Species Recovery
$150 million (national)
$00.5 million (Illinois)

We encourage park districts across Illinois to avail themselves of this opportunity to become involved in the passage of this landmark legislation. Such an opportunity has not presented itself in the last 20 years and is unlikely to be revisited if not successful during the year 2000. All park district commissioners and staff should send a personal letter to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, 2263 RHOB, The Capitol, Washington D.C. 20515-1314, encouraging full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

In addition park districts within House Speaker Hastert's congressional district are encouraged to pass a resolution of support. For information or background information, please call the IAPD offices at 217.523.4554.

TRUTH-IN-TAXATION

In the closing hours of the legislative session, the Cook County Assessors Office pushed through legislation that will require all units of local government, including home rule municipalities within Cook County, to conduct a Truth-in-Taxation hearing on their tax levy regardless of the amount of increase. The legislation becomes effective Jan. 1,2000, and is scheduled to be repealed on Jan. 1, 2003. It, therefore, impacts tax levies passed in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The act requires that in less than 30 days before the adoption of its aggregate levy the corporate authority of every taxing district must determine the amount of money exclusive of election costs estimated to be necessary to be raised by taxation for that year. Upon making the estimate the corporate authority must hold a hearing on its attempt to adopt an aggregate levy. The hearing must be held according to the following schedule:

• First Monday in December: Park

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ISSUES AND INSIGHTS FROM THE LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE SCENE

districts and municipalities.

• First Thursday in December: Counties and forest preserve districts.

• First Friday in December:All other taxing districts.

The corporate authority in the taxing district must explain the reasons for the levy and any proposed increase and must permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present testimony within such reasonable time limits as it shall determine. The hearing shall not coincide with the hearing on the proposed budget.

Failure of a taxing district to convene or complete a public hearing on the date prescribed due to good cause such as an act of God, gives the taxing district an opportunity to hold such hearing at its next scheduled meeting.

The taxing district must give notice by publication in a newspaper or general circulation in more than 14 days or less than 7 days before the date of the public hearing and be no less than one-eighth page in size and the smallest type used shall be 12 point and shall be enclosed in a black border no less than one-fourth inch wide (this follows pre-existing law regarding truth in taxation).

The notice cannot be placed in the section of the newspaper where legal notices and classified ads appear. The notice must be published in the form as shown on page 14.

ADVOCACY TIPS

Most legislators and their staff want to know as many of their constituents as possible. Take advantage of available opportunities to meet them. You might have opportunities for contact with your state legislators through local organizations to which you both belong. Relationships initiated this way can quickly evolve into opportunities to discuss your issues.

In addition, to make contact with your legislators meaningful, do some homework. Stay abreast of his or her positions on issues through public statements, votes taken on issues and print and broadcast media reports. Finally, realize that a legislator is a busy person,

Sending Letters to Your Legislator

Of course, legislators want to do what's best for their districts, whether it's saving jobs or securing funding for local projects. Legislators really do want to hear from their constituents. Because legislators make decisions on thousands of items of legislation, they look to their constituents for guidance on how to vote on the many proposals on which they have not yet formed an opinion.

Legislators commonly cite situations when fewer than half a dozen letter or telephone calls from constituents influenced a decision on a particular issue. However, not all letters to elected officials are created equal; their effectiveness varies. Here are some suggested

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guidelines to follow when writing your legislator:

• Address your legislator properly, write legibly, be courteous and reasonable.

• Avoid using form letters. Write in your own words using examples from your experiences and your community. Identify yourself early in the letter, including the fact that you are a constituent and that you are writing on behalf of other individuals, if applicable.

• Give the reason for your letter and refer to the specific legislation in the first or second paragraph. Don't use only the bill number; include a reference topic. "I am writing to express my support of HB 299, which enables park districts to..."

• Do write the chairman or committee members who will hold hearings on your bill.

• Explain how the issue in question directly affects you. "If the bill passes, park districts will be able to...."

• Use as many relevant facts as possible and back them up with sources, if available. Be specific about the action you want your legislator to take, whether it's voting one way or another on legislation, expressing views on an issue, or sending you information. "I urge you to vote for HB 299 when your committee considers this bill next week."

• Try to keep your letter short. Concentrate on only one issue in your letter. When writing to a member of Congress, send a copy of your letter to your legislator's home district office. If possible, use either personal or business stationery that indicates your return address and telephone number.

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