Frankfort Park District's Town Halls Set For Tuesday, Saturday

FRANKFORT, IL — The Frankfort Park District is scheduled to host two town hall meetings to inform residents on the Park Preservation Referendum, which will appear on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.

The first meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 pm, followed by a second town hall meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Both meetings will be held at the Founders Community Center, 140 Oak St. in Frankfort.

The Park Preservation Referendum will ask residents to decide whether to invest additional tax dollars for park maintenance and operations and recreational opportunities through a tax rate increase.

The question that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot reads:

Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for Frankfort Park District, Will and Cook Counties, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.112% above the limiting rate for the purpose of funding increased recreational and other park district expenses for levy year 2021 and be equal to 0.2859% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2022?

According to the Park District, the property tax increase will generate funding needed to manage the park operations and to maintain existing assets, and funding would be allocated to improved park maintenance, working capital outlay and future capital outlay.

• Related: Frankfort Park District To Ask Voters For Park Preservation Funding

For every $100,000 in estimated property value, taxes would increase $37.33 per year if the referendum passes, according to the Frankfort Park District.

"The hope is that residents will go to the polls and cast a vote," said Frankfort Park District Executive Director Gina Hassett. "The Frankfort Park District has one of lowest tax rates on Frankfort property tax bills and one of the lowest rates of any park district in the south suburbs. Through dialogue with the voters, I continue to hear that voters don’t realize that the park district is a separate taxing body and doesn’t share in revenues of the Village. The goal of the town hall meetings is to educate the voters.”

For additional details on the town hall meetings, or for the information to attend virtually, visit the Frankfort Park District website.