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By Peter M. Murphy
COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY One of the primary motivations behind holding the, just completed, regional legislative seminars was to communicate to our membership that no matter how effective the Illinois Association of Park Districts is in representing your views, it still needs your help. Your personal communication to government will enhance the credibility and the clarity of the voice of the IAPD. Your local representatives and senators need and are interested in knowing the impact and affect that legislative issues have on your agency so that they can make informed decisions. Never before has it been as imperative to present a strong and united voice to the legislature as legislation to abolish park districts, erode the property tax base, and otherwise limit the powers of local government will continue to be issues for legislative appraisal. The IAPD/IPRA legislative platform reflects serious issues and needs facing parks and recreation during 1981 and the legislature will act and determine the importance and gravity of these issues based only on the information it receives. Make your perspective felt and understood in Springfield. IAPD - IPRA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM Recreation Tax Increase - Amendment to section 5-3a of the Park District Code. Section 5-3a presently provides for an additional tax of not to exceed .05 % for planning, establishing and maintaining recreational programs. It is proposed that this limit be increased from .05% to .25%. A front door referendum is required before levy. Working Cash Fund - Amendment to Section 11.2-2 of the Park District Code in order to allow park districts to levy an annual tax for the purpose of establishing a working cash fund "for any four years." The Code currently provides that a park district had the authority to levy for no more than four of the years 1976 through 1980. Alcoholic Beverages - Seeks authorization for the sale, use and/or delivery of alcoholic beverages on park district property. This authority is permissive enabling park boards to exercise it at their discretion. Refunding Revenue Bonds - Statutory amendment to authorize the refunding or payment of outstanding revenue bonds by a referendum authorized general obligation bond issue. Museum Tax Increase - Amendment to Section 2 of an act concerning aquariums and museums in public parks. Provides for an increase from .015% to .03%. Backdoor referendum requirement. Paving and Lighting/Police Tax - Amendment to Sections 5-6 and 5-9 of the Park District Code to provide for the elimination of dates which require park districts organized before such time to levy only after referendum. Appropriation Ordinance - Amendment to Section 4-5 of the Park District Code to provide for elimination of the requirement that a park district publish all ordinances making appropriations within 30 days of passage in one or more newspapers published within the district. State Aid - Legislation to create a special "Park, Recreation and Open Space Distributive Fund" to annually receive (1) an amount equal to l/48th of the net income taxes or (2) to receive unclaimed lottery prize money for distribution to park districts, forest preserves, and conservation districts. Special Recreation - Amendment to the Park District Code to enable SRAs to be formed in instances where no two park districts exist in the geographic area to be served. Coalition Legislation Open Space Lands Acquisition Act - Amendment to authorize the Department of Conservation to make grants to local governments for the capital development of recreation areas as well as for acquiring open space lands. Seeks funding for programs established under act. Beverage Container Deposit Legislation - Amendment to the Land Pollution and Refuse Disposal Title of the Environmental Protection Act. Beginning on July 1, 1984 and ending on July 1, 1994; (1) requires all beverage containers sold or offered for sale to have a refund value of not less than 10 cents per container; (2) requires dealers to accept from consumers the type of beverage container he sells and to pay the consumer its refund value, provides for similar requirements up the distribution line; and (3) bans all pull tabs. Illinois Parks and Recreation 14 March/April 1981 Exemption of Local Government from Local Governments Utility Tax Position papers on these initiatives which detail and discuss the affect of these issues across Illinois are available from the IAPD offices. Remember that next to a personal visit to your legislator, a personal letter is most effective. When writing identify the bill or issue, be brief and write sincerely from your own personal experience. When the General Assembly is in session you may address your State legislators in Springfield as follows:
The Honorable (your Senator)
Dear Senator_____________________________:
The Honorable (your Representative)
Dear Representative__________________________: A special service to reach elected officials when a fast response is critical is the "Personal Opinion Telegram." It costs $2.50 for a 20 word message and usually arrives the day it is sent. There is no charge for your name, organization affiliation and address. If you want to say more, a Mailgram message allows 50 words (including sender's and receiver's name and address, salutation and close) for $3.20. Both types of messages may be initiated by calling toll-free 800-325-5100. You can contact your legislators by phone in Springfield by calling 217-782-2000. TAX LIMITATION Tax limitation measures have hit Illinois under the impetus and direction provided by James Tobin of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois. Petition drives have been held in 20 local taxing districts across the State, with 6 park districts facing the prospect of referendums to cut their corporate and recreational fund levies by 25 % . Authority to put such tax cut questions on the ballot originates in the Illinois Revenue Act of 1939 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, Ch. 120, par. 643a). This section provides that; "The question of establishing a tax rate lower than otherwise applicable shall be submitted to the voters of any taxing district at a regular election for officers of such taxing district in accordance with the general election law upon a petition signed by not fewer than 5 % of the legal voters in such taxing district, which percentage shall be determined on the basis of the number of votes cast at the last general election preceding the filing of such petition or 1,000 legal voters in such taxing district, whichever is less ..."
Harry Haskell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, National Recreation and Park Association awards a special NRPA citation to David Kersin, Legislative Liaison, Chicago Park District. OUTSTANDING LEGISLATOR AWARDS -1980
Illinois Parks and Recreation 15 March/April 1981 Interpretation of the language of this section clouds the validity of such petitions in uncertainty and raises many questions that may ultimately be decided by the courts. One such ambiguity lies in the definition of "general election". If this reference were to be to the last general election for officers of the taxing district, the application of this section would certainly have an inequitable effect and application. Such an interpretation would enable tax cut questions to be put on the ballot by as little as 2 to 8 persons in some park districts. Many local officials acted on the latter interpretation and were unaware that the new state consolidated election law, effective December 1, 1980, defines general election as the biennial election at which members of the General Assembly are elected, thus providing a higher signature requirement than previously thought. The Illinois Association of Park Districts is monitoring the activities of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois and the action taken by local governments in combating tax cut measures that are often predicated on false and misleading information. Also being sought is an equitable application of the Revenue Code section providing for such citizen initiated tax limitation measures. LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE The Legislative Conference will be held April 15th at the Springfield Hilton this year and promises to be one of the most interesting and informative sessions that the Illinois Association of Park Districts has sponsored. It provides an excellent opportunity for commissioners to watch their legislators in action, visit legislative offices, and communicate with their legislators in the informal setting of our legislative reception. I look forward to seeing all of you on April 15th for an informative and enjoyable day in Springfield. Illinois Parks and Recreation 16 March/April 1981 |
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