Quinn finds millions for dog parks, disc golf and bathhouses

Gov. Pat Quinn doled out $24 million in taxpayer money during his last days in office.

During his last days in office, Gov. Pat Quinn doled out $24 million in taxpayer money to local park districts for luxury items such as dog parks and disc-golf courses.

Quinn signed off on this spending despite Illinois’ overdue bill backlog of over $6 billion and the nation’s worst credit rating.

The governor’s most recent handouts came from Illinois’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program, which is financed via a portion of the state’s real estate transfer tax.

Before creating new state obligations for unnecessary expenditures on bathhouses, toddler pools and skate parks, the state of Illinois should work on paying down its massive pile of unpaid bills.

Blame need not only be placed on the shoulders of the outgoing governor. The legislative majority has the “power of the purse” to stop such spending, but leadership on controlling spending excesses has been nonexistent for decades.

The state should completely shut down any new spending on recreational activities and facilities until its unpaid bill backlog is gone. Local park districts already have their own revenue streams, including property taxes and user fees, to fund recreational activities.

Here is a list of all the new spending projects under the OSLAD program recently announced by Gov. Quinn:

Adams County

• Quincy Park District, $30,000, for the development of a skate park at Lincoln Park on Quinsippi Island Road

Bond County

• Kingsbury Park District, $400,000, to renovate the William S. Wait Pool in Greenville

Cook County

• Arlington Heights Park District, $400,000, to renovate and add new facilities at Lake Arlington Park
• Berwyn Park District, $87,700, to acquire three parcels for a neighborhood park
• Berwyn Park District, $306,600, to renovate an existing waterway into an educational demonstration garden including a water course for children
• Chicago Park District, $800,000, to develop the Park 571 site on the Chicago River in Bridgeport
• Chicago Park District, $1,500,000, to acquire land located at the west end of the 606 elevated trail
• Des Plaines Park District, $251,100, to renovate Apache Park
• Forest Preserve District of Cook County, $1,063,500, to add nature play and outdoor recreation elements at Dan Ryan Woods
• Park District of Forest Park, $400,000, for the development of Roos Park on Harrison Street
• Park District of Franklin Park, $217,900, to renovate Maple Park
• Golf Maine Park District, $250,000, to renovate Dee Park in the northwest portion of the District
• Community Park District of La Grange Park, $88,900, to renovate Beach – Oak Park on Beach Avenue
• City of Markham, $400,000, to renovate an existing baseball field, parking lot and concession stand on West 163rd Street
• Maywood Park District, $247,400, to renovate Central Area Park at 9th and Madison Avenue
• Memorial Park District, $341,700, to renovate Eisenhower Park on Wolf Road in Hillside
• Mount Prospect Park District, $376,000, to redevelop Einstein Park on Walnut Avenue
• North Berwyn Park District, $400,000, to construct a new aquatic facility on the site of the existing Maple Pool
• Oak Lawn Park District, $400,000, to renovate Centennial Park on Oak Park Avenue
• Park District of Oak Park, $400,000, to renovate Euclid Square Park on Fillmore Street
• Park Ridge Park District, $400,000, for the initial development of the Youth Campus Park on Prospect Avenue
• Sauk Village, $205,000, to renovate Arrowhead Park
• Winnetka Park District, $398,500, to redevelop Hubbard Woods Park

DeKalb County

• Genoa Township Park District, $60,600, for enhancements at Chamberlain Park

DuPage County

• Bloomingdale Park District, $224,000, to enhance Circle Park
• Butterfield Park District, $750,000, to acquire parcel adjacent to Glenbriar Park
• Elmhurst Park District, $400,000, to renovate Butterfield Park in southeast Elmhurst
• Oakbrook Terrace Park District, $400,000, to renovate the Heritage Park site
• Glen Ellyn Park District, $400,000, to update recreational and ecological elements of Lake Ellyn Park
• Itasca Park District, $363,500, to develop the Ray Franzen Bird Sanctuary off Rohlwing Road
• Medinah Park District, $200,000, to renovate Riha Park, located in the southwestern portion of the District
• Oak Brook Park District, $400,000, to renovate Central Park
• Westmont Park District, $400,000, for initial park development of 4.76 acres on Wilmette Avenue
• Winfield Park District, $245,200, to renovate 12-acre Wynwood Park

Franklin County

• City of Sesser, $271,000, for improvements to the existing facilities at Miners Memorial Park

Henderson

• Village of Oquawka, $52,700, to install a new playground in the Public Square Park

Jo Daviess County

• Village of Scales Mound, $46,300, to install new playground equipment and lighting at Town Park

Kane County

• City of Aurora, $400,000, to create an adventure playground in Phillips Park
• Hampshire Township Park District, $375,400, to renovate and add new facilities to Bruce Ream Park on the west side of Hampshire
• Forest Preserve District of Kane County, $568,500, to acquire a 75-acre parcel adjacent to Freeman Kame-Meagher Preserve near Gilberts

Kankakee County

• Bourbonnais Township Park District, $361,600, to renovate Whispering Willows Park.

Kendall County

• Kendall County Forest Preserve District, $750,000, to acquire 166 acres of property along the Fox River between Silver Springs State Park and Hoover Forest Preserve
• City of Plano, $202,000, for improvements at Foli Park

Lake County

• Lake Bluff Park District, $400,000, to renovate the Blair Park Aquatic Facility
• Lake County Forest Preserve District, $263,700, to increase recreation opportunities at Spring Bluff Forest Preserve in Winthrop Harbor by converting an existing asphalt road into a gravel hiking trail and constructing a wildlife observation platform

LaSalle County

• City of Peru, $256,800, for improvements at Washington Park
• Village of Seneca, $214,700, for Phase I development of a new 14-acre park adjacent to the I&M Canal Trail
• Village of Streator, $400,000, for the initial development of the Vermilion Greenway Park

Logan County

• Mt. Pulaski Township Park District, $303,100, to renovate the District’s pool and construct a new bathhouse and toddler pool at East Park in Mt. Pulaski

Macon County

• Decatur Park District, $400,000, to renovate Nelson Park on Lake Decatur

Madison County

• City of Edwardsville, $400,000, for development of a new park on Illinois Route 159

McHenry County

• Crystal Lake Park District, $400,000, to renovate and enhance facilities at Main Beach

Mercer County

• Village of Matherville, $32,700, to develop a new playground at Old School Park
• City of New Boston, $400,000, to expand the recreational opportunities at the Sturgeon Bay Campground adjacent to the Mississippi River

Ogle County

• Byron Park District, $298,500, to redevelop and enhance Hamas Park
• Byron Park District, $46,700, to acquire land along the Rock River

Peoria County

• Hollis Park District, $149,900, to redevelop Butler-Haynes Park in Mapleton
• Peoria Park District, $285,000, to construct a skate park at Lakeview Park

St. Clair County

• East St. Louis Park District, $237,300, to renovate the tennis courts at Lincoln Park

Stephenson County

• Village of Rock City, $62,300, to add new playground equipment at Rock City Park

Union County

• City of Anna, $149,600, for improvements to Anna City Park

Warren County

• City of Monmouth, $360,000, to renovate and add recreation facilities at Citizens Lake, located west of Monmouth

White County

• City of Grayville, $400,000, to renovate Grayville Park on the Wabash River

Whiteside County

• City of Rock Falls, $400,000, for initial development of the RB&W District Park on the Rock River

Will County

• Channahon Park District, $400,000, to enhance Central Park
• Frankfort Square Park District $199,000, to redevelop Community Park on St. Francis Road
• Godley Park District, $400,000, to redevelop K Mine Park
• Joliet Park District, $750,000, to acquire an 80-acre parcel on Hoberg Road
• Mokena Park District, $400,000, for the initial development of a portion of McGovney-Yunker Park, at LaPorte & Schoolhouse Roads
• Romeoville Recreation Department, $400,000, for the initial development of Bigelow Park
• Village of Shorewood, $400,000, for the initial development of Lake Forrest Park
• Village of University Park, $225,500, to redevelop 42-acre Pine Lake Park
• Forest Preserve District of Will County, $400,000, for the development of 450-acre Plum Valley Preserve
• City of Wilmington, $252,100, to acquire 2.5 acres on South Island

Woodford County

• Village of Congerville, $150,000, to develop the village’s first park site