The Forest Preserve District of Will County Board voted Thursday to issue up to $50 million in bonds as part of a five-year capital improvement program to fund land preservation, trail connections, visitor center improvements and habitat restoration.
The district wants to use $25 million to preserve between 1,000 and 1,250 acres, $12 million for regional and local trail connections and enhancements to visitor centers, and $13 million to restore about 2,500 acres of habitat and increase biodiversity.
This year, the owner of a home valued at $300,000 paid about $116 in property taxes to the forest preserve district..
Because the district is retiring existing debt, the line item for the forest district will decrease even with the bond sale. With the $50 million bond issue, the owner of a $300,000 home would pay about $95 to the forest district.
Had the bond issue failed, the same homeowner would have paid about $84, forest district officials said, leading board members to debate whether the bond sale would result in a tax increase or decrease. The figure was slightly adjusted from last week’s number of $86 based on a revised estimated equalized assessed valuation, district officials said.
“The question isn’t are we raising taxes. The question is how low are we going to try to lower taxes,” said board member Jim Richmond, a Republican from Mokena.
The forest district board voted 16-2 to approve the bond sale, with two Republican board members — Mark Revis of Plainfield and Raquel Mitchell of Bolingbrook — casting no votes.
Before the vote, just over 100 emails were read as part of public comment, with the majority of them asking the board to oppose the bonds. Residents wrote they are taxed enough and are struggling.
“The weary taxpayer needs some relief,” one email read.
Will County Forest District Board member Raquel Mitchell, a Republican from Bolingbrook, speaks out against the bond issue. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
Revis and Mitchell engaged M3 Strategies, which polled 398 likely Will County voters last weekend, and reported 82% of respondents said it was either very important or extremely important for candidates to have a plan to address property taxes. The poll showed 24% of respondents wanted the forest preserve to borrow $50 million and 53% said to borrow nothing.
Revis said that over the past few weeks the board received about 315 comments from constituents against the bond sale. Residents have asked the board to lower taxes as much as possible, he said.
“This is a debt we are taking on,” he said.
Mitchell cited high grocery store and gas prices as reasons for her opposition. She said while the bond sale costs about an extra $1 per month, some people cannot afford that.
“Now is not the time,” she said.
Will County Forest District Board members listen to just over 100 emails being read June 13, 2024, from residents regarding a proposed bond sale. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
About a dozen emails read Thursday asked the board to approve the sale, citing positive mental and physical health benefits the district provides as well as the desire to preserve more open space and improve air quality.
“What would you like in place of 1,250 acres of green spaces? Warehouses?” one email read.
A handful of emails chastised Revis for scare tactics on social media.
Several board members said the trails and preserves are frequently used by their constituents.
“People appreciate our open spaces,” said board member Julie Berkowicz, a Naperville Republican.
She noted that Whalon Lake in Naperville has hundreds of guests daily and that she can go for a 10-mile hike in her community without dealing with traffic or congestion.
“If we did not have these open spaces, our quality of life would go down,” Berkowicz said.
Board member Mica Freeman, a Plainfield Democrat, said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents enjoyed being outdoors among nature. Forest preserves and trail use continues to increase, Freeman said.
Romeoville resident Omar Kamara is the sole resident to speak out in person June 13, 2024, against the $50 million bond issue by the Will County Forest Preserve District. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
Member Katie Deane-Schlottman, a Joliet Republican, said the preserves are a great place to take children without spending money.
“The forest preserve does an amazing job,” she said.
Sherry Newquist, a Democrat from Steger, said the capital improvement plan has several projects in her district that could not be done without the bond sale.
“This really does bring a benefit to my district,” she said.
Projects identified in the capital improvement program span the entire county.
The district wants to extend the DuPage River Trail on Naperville-owned property east of Weber Road to connect with trail systems in Naperville and Bolingbrook.
Another trail improvement is the Wolf’s Crossing Road Trail connection in Wheatland Township. The extension would allow path users to connect to a system of Aurora trails or to the Naperville Park District’s Tallgrass Greenway Trail.
Also in Naperville, the preserve is planning to use grants through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to help construct the Riverview Farmstead loop trail and amenities, including constructing a 1-mile segment of the DuPage River Trail and an adjacent 1.5 mile loop through restored prairie and wetland habitat.
The district also plans trail extensions to complete the northern and southern segments of the Veterans Memorial Trail in partnership with the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and the village of New Lenox. The Veterans Memorial Trail is a regional trail that connects Romeoville, Lemont, Homer Glen, Lockport and New Lenox.
Improvements planned for the Plum Creek Nature Center in Beecher include interior renovations and replacing interpretive signage.
Some of the areas targeted for habitat reconstruction or natural restoration include 250 acres of the Riverview Farmstead in Naperville, 250 acres of the Jackson Creek Preserve in Green Garden Township and 200 acres of the Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve and 550 acres of Plum Valley Ravines in Crete Township.
Work will be done to restore a native landscape, remove invasive species and introduce native plants. Reconstruction takes a farm field and creates new natural habitat of prairie or savannah, officials said. Restoration takes an existing naturalized area and restores the habitat to its former quality.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.
