If there was ever a moment in the Champaign County Forest Preserve’s 72-year history that it felt absolutely 110% reasonable for its board to ask the community it serves for a little help, 2020 would be the moment.
According to Mary Ellen Wuellner, Executive Director of CCFPD, park and preserves usage is up anywhere between 25%-50% just this year alone. Evidently, if the pandemic brought us anything to celebrate, it was the idea that the Great Outdoors has a lot more utility than some people remember. As much fun as it is playing Mike Tyson’s Punch Out or Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, going outside and wandering the spaces we all chip in to maintain is that much more valuable.
According to the press release, the CCFP will ask for a 1.6% bump of Equalized Assessed Value of taxable property. Basically, for every $100K you own in real estate, you pay an extra $5.33. This is not very much money. As one planner put it, it’s the cost of some fries and a shake.
Image from Kotaku
In the coming weeks and months leading up to November 3rd, you might hear or see some people complain about this. OK! That is their right. You can respond with a simple “lol” or something more robust like “Seems like you are very down on fun these days, Chad”. Or you can talk to them about how important this type of planning is, and how we’re all better off for it when we have these types of amenities to celebrate and improve.
Regardless, it demands your attention, and your vote. To reject it is to assign yourself a series of bad conversations with people you love. Even if you just hate taxes, the way a toddler hates a bath, the better way to react is to just resign yourself to it, and say “Yeah yeah yeah, money for the forest, that’s fine.”
See, it’s easy.
Top Image from Facebook