Maywood Park district staff haven’t been paid for almost six weeks because the west suburban district struggles with mounting monetary issues, district leaders and staff say.
Since early October, 4 of the district’s 11 staffers, together with interim Executive Director Rod Chaney, have been working with out pay whereas the opposite seven have give up or are ready to return to work. The park district operates 4 parks and after-school, athletics and senior enrichment applications for Maywood’s roughly 23,000 residents.
The district has about $3,500 accessible, board President Dawn Williams stated.
In January, the district defaulted on its $175,000 mortgage, Williams stated. The district was supposed to make use of an installment of property tax income from that month to repay the mortgage, Williams and Chaney stated, however the cash was as an alternative spent on working bills, which embrace payroll and utility payments.
In March, district attorneys alerted the board that the district was in default on the mortgage.
“Our board was underneath the impression that the cash had already been refunded,” Williams stated.
Although the district just lately completed paying off the mortgage utilizing tax income acquired between March and August, it stays about $290,000 in debt, Chaney stated. Additionally, the district has not filed monetary statements courting again to 2020, based on the Illinois Comptroller’s Office.
Maywood residents in final week’s common election overwhelmingly permitted a pair of nonbinding questions that gave the inexperienced mild to dissolving the park district, transferring park administration to the village and utilizing the tax levy district’s annual $700,000 to create a property tax reduction fund. The village already administers seven of Maywood’s parks.
Since referendums are usually not binding, nothing will change in Maywood for now. But Mayor Nathaniel Booker, who supported the poll questions, stated he would pursue a binding referendum requiring dissolution of the park district in subsequent spring’s municipal elections and is assured residents will assist the modifications.
Williams and Chaney stated they count on to have the ability to pay salaries in mid-November. Williams stated one other infusion of tax income might come from Cook County as quickly as this week.
“Regardless of that, whether it is sufficient, we will certainly pay our staff,” he stated. “We need our staff to be paid.”
Yahyness White, one of many Park District’s staff, stated he first discovered that the Park District could not pay payroll on Oct. 7. White moved into her first condo shortly earlier than discovering her revenue had evaporated.
“Finding out that I’m not going to have the ability to pay some payments and issues like that’s actually devastating,” White, 24, stated.
Shannon Kimble Sr., the director of the athletic program, stated he expects to be paid “fairly quickly.”
“I am unable to flip my again on the applications,” he stated. “They have to flee.”
Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker stated it is “unlucky” that the park district is not paying its staff and blamed Williams and council treasurer John Rice for the district’s monetary difficulties.
“The lack of accountability on the a part of the board’s management and general administration is, to me, the issue,” Booker stated.
The district’s former govt director, Lonette Hall, was positioned on administrative depart in March 2024 and her contract was not renewed in July. Booker stated Hall performed a job within the district’s monetary decline, however stated the board “by no means held her accountable to provide any factual assertion in any respect.”
Williams countered that when board members requested for financial institution statements, Hall didn’t present them. Rice didn’t instantly return a cellphone name looking for remark.
Hall’s LinkedIn account reveals that he now works for the Foss Park District on Chicago’s North Side as a recreation superintendent. He didn’t reply to an emailed request for remark.
Maywood is represented by two of probably the most highly effective members of the Illinois General Assembly: Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. Welch referred a request for remark to the Village and Park District. Lightford stated he was not conscious that park district staff had not been paid, however that Maywood residents deserved a well-functioning park district and stated there had been considerations that “the parks district was not thriving” since his days as Maywood village trustee. within the late Nineties.
Most municipalities within the Lightford district have separate administrations for park districts, however he stated his precedence is guaranteeing good programming and services for residents.
“Anyone who has the power to supply providers to college students, youngsters and seniors is okay with me,” he stated. “I simply want it to occur.”
Earlier this yr, CBS News reported that south suburban Dolton has had to make use of the cash to finance tax will increase to pay its staff’ payrolls because the village stays mired in monetary and authorized points.
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