Alsip Park District – Commissioners violate State Law, receive compensation –

Alsip Park District (ECWd) –

Free golf! Free Aquatic Center! Free Fitness Center! Free vehicles, tools, and machinery! EVERYTHING IS FREEE!!!

But only if you are or were an Alsip Park District Commissioner! And of course, none of this is “compensation” LOL.

From time to time we are asked why we don’t simply communicate with a public body and ask them if they will fix the problems we are finding.

The short answer? We generally do.

Their answers to us? Generally either silence or denial.

This brings us to the Alsip Park District, a district that thinks they can invent a unique definition of the phrase “shall act as such without compensation” as mentioned in the Park District Code where it talks about Park Commissioners.

On May 9, 2015, I sent the Executive Director of the Alsip Park District an email with an attached letter detailing some of the items pertaining to compensation, or “perks” and “incentives”, the district was giving to their Commissioners, and showing them how it violates State law.

The Alsip Park District chose to ignore the letter, since it has been 5 weeks with no response – which tells me they are simply going to keep on violating the law. These “fringes” are listed in their park policy manual (here), and violate the constitution and the Park District Code.

Here is what Current Commissioners and their family members receive:

a) register in any program, membership facility, special event, or contractual
program without charge, and,
b) Free participation in overnight trips for Commissioners, and,
c) resident status for Commissioner’s athletic team, and,
d) free use of the Fitness Center for Commissioners and family – and for Past Board
Commissioners, and,
e) free rental of Aquatic Park by each Commissioner once each year, and,
f) free rental of gym or program rooms, and,
g) free use of Park District tools, vehicles, and/or machinery or other related
equipment, and,

Here is what “Retired” (or former) Commissioners and one guest receives:

Not only do they violate the law, they made a special gold card to authorize their law breaking:

“COMMISSIONER’S GOLD CARD” which authorizes free use of all Park District Facilities:
a) Aquatic Park – Daily Admission
b) Apollo Recreation Center – Daily Admission to Fitness Center and Gym
c) Fountain Hills Golf Club – Green Fees and Cart
d) All future Park Facilities

How does that look for “shall serve without compensation” ?

I might be going out on a limb here, but I seriously doubt if they report these items on their income tax reports. My guess is the Park District violates the reporting requirements and doesn’t report it either.

[gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Alsip-Park-District-Memo-Redacted.pdf”]