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11. HRCollins
    Member

    Catherine suggested eliminating the Recreation Department. While I do not think this is a good idea, I think the village must look closely at how it is funded and to make sure that the citizens get the most bang for their dollar. Perhaps fees are raised or more programs are offered jointly with other towns or the department arranges discounted fees at private facilities like the McCook Athletic and Exposition Center.

    Kim used a key word when it comes to Riverside and its recreation program. Kim used the word "District."

    Riverside does not have a Park District but a Recreation Department that is funded by the Village. Perhaps it is time to form a Riverside Parks and Recreation District that could be a taxing body. The new District would have its own elections and be more accountable to its citizens.

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 12:20 #

12. Catherine
    Member

    Well, HR, I believe it is called the Parks and Recreation Dept. I do not see that they do anything FOR the parks. DPW does that. I believe they schedule games IN the parks. I do not see why parents cannot do that. As to the programs in their flyer, I just do not think them worth the taxpayers money. Those that think otherwise should pay their full cost. Folks in town without children already fund the public schools; I do not think they should have to pay yet another taxing body for services not used.

    The Landmark said the government must look at some of the high salaries of certain unnamed village positions. I cannot help but think one of these is the head of Rec. Otherwise you are left with village manager and head of public works, or maybe the chief librarian.

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 12:31 #

13. HRCollins
    Member

    Catherine - You said "Folks in town without children already fund the public schools; I do not think they should have to pay yet another taxing body for services not used." The P&R Department offers many programs for adults so it your choice not use them. If you are not happy with the programs suggest new ones.

    I also pay taxes to District 96 and do not use its service so I know how you feel about that. But I also write a tuition check to St. Mary School each month. So in effect I am District 96's favorite type of taxpayer. I pay the taxes and do not use their service despite having a school aged child.

    When you have P&R Department and a PW Dept. it really does not matter who does the work in the parks as the money comes out of the same pot. From what I have been told is that PW takes care of the grass cutting, tree trimming and the like in the parks. P&R manages the programs held within the parks such as soccer, flag football, softball for adults on Saturday's in the fall, organizes the adult volley ball league, etc. The P&R Department also does important things like taking care of the playgrounds, coordinating the maintenance of the baseball & softball diamonds (which is paid for by Riverside Little League).

    For the most part I feel private organizations can run things better than government agencies, but at times they are needed.

    You said that you “do not see why parents cannot— schedule the games. It is not that simple. You need an organization to collect registrations, schedule the games, line the fields, and distribute the equipment. The Riverside P&R Department does that well for basketball, soccer, flag football and many summer programs. The P&R Department also does another very important job in running background checks on would be coaches.

    Many people seem to think that the Village Manager and the head of the P&R Dept are paid too much. I am not sure why you feel this way. Is it high compared to town similar in size to Riverside? Is it too high compared to the difficulty of the job?

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 15:41 #

14. Catherine
    Member

    I know they offer programs for adults, I am the recipient of their regular waste of paper. If I want to learn ceramic pottery making, I will do it on my own dime and without a government subsidy. I do not think they need to design programs for me; I think they are not worth the money. Certainly not worth running a deficit for.

    I too am that favorite taxpayer of the school district, and that is fine, as long as they look out for their own interests in matters like TIF.

    There is a feeling that Rec is overstaffed. Period. Others can disagree. I do not think it necessary for a financially stressed government to schedule Little League games, although I agree they should happen. I did not say it was simple. I do not agree it is a job for government.

    Ask the editor of the Landmark who he had in mind. Your question assumes these people are necessary. I feel a little overserved myself. I can certainly live without the chaos of consultant and lawyer fees generated in the past few years.

    What are your suggestions for cutting the budget HR?

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 16:05 #

15. HRCollins
    Member

    I am not sure what headcount I would reduce in what department. I am all for reduced government and I am sure that private organizations could do the job that the Rec Dept does as well as the Library and other government bodies. But one problem, those private organizations already in place do not even have the power to fix fields in Riverside because of liabilty concerns, a lot would have to happen to enable this (not that I am endorsing this).

    If we get rid of the Rec Dept, do we make the library private? What about the schools - why should I pay to educate other people's children? Shouldn't each parent pay for their own kid's education? Or what about athletic programs at public schools - should they be paid for by the participants?

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 18:34 #

16. Catherine
    Member

    HR, we all know what the required and normal functions of government are. Every town in America has government that maintains infrastructure, public safety and public schools. Libraries are historically regarded as part of the requirement for public education and each local unit will have one. "Recreation Departments" enjoy no such standing historically or in general fact.

    Those local governments also generally try to preserve their usual revenue stream: property taxes. In this town, that means maintaining the historic landscape architecture district that makes homes in this town more valuable than ones in surrounding towns, thus maintaining those values and their taxation revenues.

    So the reduction ad adsurdum does not hold. Nor have you said where you would cut the budget. Perhaps you would not. I think stemming the flow to consultant and lawyers fees is a good place to start. Then I would take a good look at this department and at all highly salaried positions as suggested by the Landmark. A good consultant expenditure might have been an independent audit of all of our departments for efficiency, but an independent consultant is getting to be as oxymoronic as an independent lawyer.

    Posted Monday Nov 5, 2007 20:22 #

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