Letter From The President
Democracy goes back to ancient Greece and was defined by Aristotle as the “rule of many.”
The idea of the rule of people holds that democracy requires all or most of the citizenry to take part in decisions at hand. It was for this reason that at the regular meeting of the Park Board on December 13, 2011, Park Commissioners voted to place a referendum question on the March 20, 2012 primary election ballot. The referendum question will give the entire community the chance to have a say in determining the future of their Park District.
This is consistent with the process which District officials have been engaged in since beginning their conversation with residents when it executed a Community Needs Assessment in 2009. Since then, whether in focus groups, open forums, Board meetings or neighborhood meetings, residents have consistently told us they want updated facilities.
As the Village of Arlington Heights recognizes it’s Quasquicentenniel in 2012 we are also inspired by its three main messages: Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present and Explore the Future.
The Park District thanks all residents who participated in the master planning meetings in 2010-2011 as they provided citizen input that has been invaluable. We want to also thank all those who have participated in our recreation programs, visited our facilities or explored our many parks whether in the past or the present. We are excited to afford everyone in the community an opportunity to help determine our future and we encourage them to actively participate in democracy on March 20th.
The proposed referendum funding would allow the district to spread a $48 million bond issuance over a 25-year period. This would have a tax impact of an additional $36 per year on a home with a market value of $300,000. The plan would renovate four community parks by the year 2016. This plan goes beyond just building physical environments for fun. It will benefit the lives of all residents and the community for the future.
Just as the train rails continue to connect cities and bring people into and through downtown Arlington Heights, our District’s recreation programs, community centers and parks continue to connect communities and people by bringing them closer to one another and contributing to a quality of life found nowhere else.