Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Park Dist. Reducing Expenses For Third Straight Year
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
Flat revenues and constantly rising expenses, the two worst enemies of area taxing bodies these days, are influencing the budget at the Park Ridge Park District.
The district's 2010 budget and appropriation ordinance was approved last week by the board of commissioners. It shows that, for the third straight year, the park district is reducing expenses to adjust to the bad economy, flattening revenues, and dwindling reserves.
The $12.8 million in projected expenses for 2010 is $1 million less than the 2009 budget, and nearly $2 million less than the 2008 actual expense. The budget projects revenues this year of just over $12 million, which is expected to leave a deficit of about $831,000, according to district financial documents. That's better than the $1.4 million deficit last year, however, and the $3.2 million shortfall in 2008.
"We are definitely cutting back the last two years on expenses to reduce the rate of dipping into our reserves," said Kathie Hahn, park district director of communications.
The district had a fund balance (reserve) of $7.1 million in 2008, but projects a reserve of $4.4 million when the current year ends next December.
District residents won't notice the cost reductions too much, however, since the district is focusing cutbacks on operations and capital expenses, not on programs and activities. The 2010 budget plans unchanged levels of salary and employee benefit expenses, but plans reductions for supplies, contractural expenses, utilities, program supplies, and capital outlay and facility maintenance.
The district does intend to proceed with a number of significant capital projects totaling just over $1.1 million, however. They include family locker room improvements at the Community Center, commuter parking lot upgrades at Hinkley Park, mandated swimming pool upgrades, field improvements at Northeast Park, and a fence at North Park.
Also planned are new fitness equipment, HVAC upgrades, and women's locker room tile replacement at the community center, recoated tennis courts at Hinkley, kitchen and pond improvements at the Maine Park Nature Center, netting repair at the Oakton Park Driving Range, new equipment at South Park, furniture at several sites, and riding lawnmower and new vehicles.
The district also continues to keep its fingers crossed that the Oakton pool will operate efficiently this year, as it has for the last several years, despite its age of approximately 40 years.
It will reopen in May this spring, as it has annually since about 1970.
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