ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS ROBERT L. COLE, President Commissioner, Decatur PETER J. KOUKOS, President-Elect Commissioner, Highland Park DON G. PRINDLE, Vice President Board Member, DuPage County Forest Preserve WALDON O. DEGNER, Vice President Commissioner, Palatine MORGAN C. POWELL, Vice President Commissioner, Champaign HAROLD C. HAWKINS, Treasurer Trustee, Springfield MARILYN MALLES, Sergeant-at-Arms Commissioner; Wilmette BARBARA STRAUS WILLIAMS Immediate Past President Commissioner, Olympia Fields JOHN S. GENSLER Commissioner, Naperville PATRICK T. GREALISH Commissioner, Salt Creek ROBERT S. NICHOLS Commissioner, Bensenville BONNIE W. NOBLE Trustee, Peoria ROBERT J. PROCTER Commissioner, Northbrook SCOTT RANDOLPH Commissioner, E. St. Louis SUSAN RIZZO Commissioner, Park Ridge KENNETH P. SALUS Commissioner, Carbondale NORMAN P. SMALLEY Commissioner, Elmhurst NAOMI WALTERS Commissioner, Streamwood GEORGE WEIGLE Commissioner, Dixon IAPD HEADQUARTERS Suite 101,217 East Monroe St.,Springfield, IL 62701 phone (217) 523-4554 DR. THEODORE B. FLICKINGER Executive Director HARRIS W. FAWELL General Counsel BILL BODINE Business Manager PETER M. MURPHY Director for Governmental Service; LOUISE HERNDON Administrative Secretary

NEW MEMBERS

We hope all members of the Illinois Association of Park Districts join the staff and Board of Directors in welcoming the recent new members joining IAPD in the last two months:

Channahon Community Park District
Golf View Park District
Mason City Park District
Mt. Prospect Park District
Schaumburg Park District
South Barrington Park District
Carrier Mills Park District

You will be receiving in the very near future a new membership portfolio delineating services of IAPD. We are also developing an IAPD slide-tape show and would be interested in possibly including your park district. If interested, please make slides available to the IAPD offices.

WHITE PAPER REPORT?

The White Paper Report has been made available to all member agencies. The 5 special reports can be obtained by writing or calling the IAPD offices. The White Paper Report is the result of a year long research project conducted by the University of Illinois, Department of Leisure Studies under a grant principally financed by IAPD with assistance from the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association, the Illinois Parks & Recreation Foundation and the Chicago Park District. Oral reports on the White Paper will be presented at the 5 Regional Legislative Seminars, the Legislative Conference (April 15) and the May Commissioner/Board Member Training Seminar (May 9th). The White Paper shows, among other things, that citizens of Illinois expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the park districts and that any change in this form of independent district authority would not be the popular will of the electorate.

We now have state and federal research which documents: (a) a well designed, skillfully managed park system improves a community's appearance, and protects and enhances property value while insuring adequate facilities and opportunities for recreational participation of area residents; (b) recreation provides relief from daily stress, greater family solidarity, improved mental and physical fitness and increased employee productivity; (c) personal income spent on recreation is rising faster than consumer spending as a whole.

TAX LIMITATION MEASURES:

The IAPD offices have been monitoring the activities of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois. Recently the Executive Director, the Director of Governmental Services and the General Counsel met with park district directors, attorneys and board members affected by tax limitation measures on the April ballot. Consternation was expressed at the limited number of signatures required for putting the question on the ballot. In practical terms we learned that seventeen persons can put the question on the ballot in one park district and only eight persons are needed for such action in another park district. IAPD will develop a publication of the information gathered from each park district and the IAPD offices on ways to address, in the future, the National Taxpayers United of Illinois. We will also include this subject in the upcoming Legislative Conference and May Training Seminar.

See IAPD ... Page 37

Illinois Parks and Recreation 31 March/April 1981

IAPD... From Page 37

APRIL 15 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

There is an obvious need for more cooperation and a closer liaison and working relationship between our association and congressional leaders. Therefore, we are sponsoring this Legislative Conference to provide you with first hand, up-to-date information on the association's legislative program as well as all pending legislation affecting park, forest preserve and conservation districts. We hope when you leave this one day conference you will:

1. Have a better understanding of the legislative process and how you can become more effective in the legislative arena.

2. Have met and talked with your legislators about the IAPD legislative platform, issues facing parks and recreation and any ideas or resolutions your legislator might recommend to improve parks and recreation in our state.

3. Return to your respective districts and continuously work with political leaders to advance the park and recreation movement in Illinois and across the nation.

A packet of information will be prepared for you by the Association staff with compliments of various congressional leaders and state departments. Plan now to attend. Call and make appointments to meet your legislators at the evening reception.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 37 March/April 1981