News of the Wild

Conservation Referenda Success!

Voters in Kane and Will Counties spoke strongly in favor of open space on April 5, 2005, approving all four referenda to acquire public land and one referendum for funds to maintain the land. The bond issues approved will raise more than $200 million to preserve open space and natural lands, ultimately protecting about 10,000 acres.

With 65 percent of the vote, the Forest Preserve District of Kane County won approval of $75 million to buy land. In Campton Township, voters approved $28.3 million to acquire land and $28.3 million to maintain land. The Campton measures won by a convincing 74 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County raised $95 million for land acquisition with 53 percent approval. The Village of Romeoville asked voters for about $500,000 per year for parks and open space through a slight increase on the real estate transfer tax. That proposal narrowly passed, with 51 percent of the vote.

The campaigns to pass the referenda focused on the urgency of preserving open space in these rapidly developing counties before the opportunity is gone. Voters also responded to the message that open space is “the ultimate tax cap,” since it raises property values while also avoiding costs of added services for new residents. The roles of preserves in keeping water clean and in controlling floods were other important considerations.

The success of all five open-space referenda stood in stark contrast to the fate of school referenda, where Kane voters turned down 6 of 7 referenda, and Will voters rejected 10 of 15.

— Barbara Hill

Related Article:

History of Passed Open Space Referenda from The Conservation Foundation