The Oswegoland Park District will not be placing term limits on its board members because it does not have the authority to do so.
The board met Thursday to discuss the option of limiting the number of six-year terms members of the board could serve, a proposal brought to the board by a resident and added to the agenda by newly elected Commissioner Len Wass.
But according to the opinion of the district’s attorney, Derke Price, the board does not have the authority under Illinois statues to impose term limits.
“There is no statutory basis for imposing term limits on the office of Park Commissioner,” wrote Price. “The Park Code sets forth the powers of the District and while the District is authorized to choose between five and seven commissioners and four- and six-year terms, it is not authorized to impose term limits.”
Still, Wass said that pursuing a change in the law at the state level would benefit the district by bringing new ideas to the board.
“It may be out of our purview, but if we feel strongly, why don’t we try to get that changed?” Wass said. “It’s our country, or it used to be anyway.”
But other commissioners said they had no interest in attempting to change the state law.
“I have to be honest. I have no interest in looking at this,” said Board President Bob Mattingly. “I think there was a good unofficial referendum on this last April 5 when I won another six-year term. I was elected to my fourth term, so I think the community spoke on it.”
Mattingly has been a commissioner for 18 years, of which he has spent eight years as board president.
Deb Krase has served on the board since 1989, including an eight-year stint as board president.
Danielle Ebersole was first elected in 2003.
Wass and Commissioner Roy White were elected to the board in April.
Oswegoland Park Board members are now elected to six-year terms, though the option of shorter four-year terms could be a topic for discussion at board workshop at a to-be-determined date in the next month.
But as early as next week, another park board proposal — outsourcing management of Fox Bend Golf Course — will be brought to the Golf Committee for discussion on whether outsourcing could cut costs.
“I am not a proponent of outsourcing, neither am I against it,” said Wass. “I would like to see movement to gather information.”
Commissioner and golfer Roy White said he’d first like to see opinions gathered from the golfers who use the course, rather than from potential course management companies.
But if you’d prefer to ignore the stress of taxation versus recreation, the Park District has a suggestion for that, too. Conditions at Fox Bend are “coming around” after a soggy summer, according to staff.
The course is investigating a possible Groupon deal to get the word out that the greens are, well, green again.
The Golf Committee will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday at the Prairie Point Center, 313 E. Washington St., Oswego.
Source:http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/7277058-418/oswegoland-park-board-not-empowered-to-impose-term-limits.html
