County Board Member John Collins Critiques Park Board President’s Letter Emphasizing Taxes, Fees & Salaries at Crystal Lake Park Board Meeting, Letter Included Below

Here is what he said:

Good evening and thank you Board President for the opportunity to speak.

I am John Collins a 25-year resident of the Park District.

I want to begin by making it clear that I am not speaking tonight as a member of the McHenry County Board, nor am I representing its views in any way.

I am here as a private citizen and a resident of the Crystal Lake Park District.

I want to respond directly to the narrative that’s been shared, or soon to be shared in the Board President’s letter to the community, that local taxpayers are shouldering an unfair and growing share of the Park District’s costs.

That story sounds compelling, but the facts simply don’t support it.

Let’s start with the big picture, with data that comes from the Park Districts 2024 Comprehensive Audit, which is available on the district’s website:

Since 2015, the value of taxable property in our district has increased by over 55%, from about $1.27 billion to nearly $1.97 billion today.

That growth reflects something important: people want to live here.

They value what our community offers and that includes the parks, programs, and public spaces that define our shared quality of life.

Now here’s the part you won’t hear in his message: that our tax rate has gone down, not up.

In 2015, the Park District’s effective tax rate was 0.5582.

Today, it’s 0.4500, a 19% decrease in the amount you pay per dollar of property value.

That means our tax burden has become more efficient, not more expensive.

Some argue that you’re “paying the bills for other people.”

But out-of-district users actually pay higher fees to participate.

That’s not just policy, it’s equity in action.

And yes, you will hear about salaries and wages increasing, but so has the state minimum wage, from $8.25 to $15.00 between 2012 and 2025.

With 421 or 85% of the employees of the Park District being part time, it’s not surprising that wage cost has increased.

Paying fair wages for quality service isn’t wasteful, it’s responsible.

But let’s address the heart of the message that is and will be pushed: you are going to be asked whether you use the Park District or are “just paying the bills for others.”

You will be warned that taxes are “a condition of keeping your house.”

That kind of rhetoric is misleading, divisive, and frankly inappropriate.

This is a false choice and a fear tactic.

It tries to make neighbors feel like victims, or worse, like someone else is getting a free ride.

But that’s not how public services work.

You may not use every walking trail, baseball field, or summer camp, but these are shared resources that raise everyone’s property values, support public health, reduce crime, and build community.

The Park District budget isn’t a threat to your home.

It’s an investment in your neighborhood.

The real question isn’t whether we want to “flatline” or “cut”, the real question is: do we want to preserve the spaces and bervices that make Crystal Lake a place we’re proud to call home?

Let’s not accept a narrative that pits us against each other, taxpayers vs. users, residents vs. non-residents.

That’s not community.

That’s division.

Let’s instead demand honest budgeting, real transparency, and a shared commitment to maintaining the value and the values of the place we all live.

Thank you.

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And, here is the letter written by Park Board President Frederick  M. Tiesenga that Collins critiques:

Dear Park District Taxpayer,

THANK YOU.  Thank you for supporting the Crystal Lake Park District with your payment of real estate taxes, which have increased 21% from 2012-2022 from $6.5 Million to $7.8 Million. 

In 2012 your property tax payments funded 59.2% of our budget. 

By 2022 this grew to 63.8% of our budget. 

During that same period, program revenues, or fees paid by park district users, decreased from 39.4% to 34%.  

The trend is clear. 

You are carrying more of the fixed cost of our Park District, while variable users pay less. 

Many of these program users do not live within the Park District, so they don’t contribute to the growing proportion of property taxes that fund these programs. 

We need to evaluate if you would like to see this trend continue. 

Do you participate in our programs? 

Or are you just paying the bills for others to do so?

In the same time frame of 2012-2022, total salaries and wages paid by the Park District to staff our programs increased from $4.7 Million to $5.2 Million. 

Are we getting value for this increased spending on personnel?

As you enjoy your Summer at our beaches, baseball parks, soccer fields, mini golf ranges, frisbee golf courses and walking trails, your Park Board is getting ready for budget season. 

The budget is asymbolic reflection of policy choices, which come back to you when you must pay your property taxes as a condition of keeping your house.

Please let us know if you would like our Park District tax levy to increase the tax burden on you, or if you would like us to prioritize our budget decisions to flat line or even decrease the hit we take against your home. 

We know it’s all a matter of striking the right balance, with you the taxpayer as our priority.  

We are committed to delivering the best recreational opportunities available, within your family budget.

Have a great Summer!

Sincerely,

Frederick  M. Tiesenga, M.D., FACS., MBS FPD.

Crystal Lake Park District President