A Metropolitan Park District, (the name speaks to a point of bringing the city they left behind along with them) only needs a simple majority to be adopted, thereby becoming a permanent junior taxing district. I don’t think a lot of people understand the permanence of that detail. They are not just voting to fund the construction of a pool. More importantly, they are actually voting to create a permanent taxation district that will have several mechanisms for taxing, that the the voters will have no further say about other than to pay their property tax statement. This is also the organizational structure that will allow them to raise the largest amount of money with the least amount of public input.
Function and Powers of Metropolitan Park District
An MPD may:
- Purchase, acquire and condemn lands within or without the boundaries of park district
- Issue and sell warrants, short- term obligations, or general obligation bonds
- Issue revenue bonds
- Petition for the creation of local improvement districts
- Employ counsel, provide for park police officers, secretary of the board, and all necessary employees
- Establish civil service for employees
- Regulate, manage and control, improve, acquire, extend and maintain, open and lay out, parks, parkways, boulevards, avenues, aviation landings and playgrounds, within or without the park district
- Authorize, conduct, and manage:
- the letting of boats or other amusement apparatus,
- the operation of bath houses,
- the purchase and sale of foodstuffs or other merchandise,
- the giving of vocal or instrumental concerts or other entertainments,
- the management and conduct of such forms of recreation or business as it shall judge desirable or beneficial for the public, or for the production of revenue for expenditure for park purposes.
- Sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of surplus property.
- Annex territory.
