While the Collinsville Area Recreation District board of commissioners and community members may disagree on how to fund Willoughby Heritage Farm, there is one thing most of them do agree on: The farm is an important community asset.

"I personally think that to abandon Willoughby Farm would be a sin and a shame," said Bob Willoughby, whose family sold the land to the Collinsville Area Recreation District for $350,000 in 2002. "I don't care what they call it — they can call it the Smith Farm for all I care — but the response from the public has been phenomenal and to turn their backs on it ... would be a shame."

Recreation district board president Mary Ann Bitzer said last month that Willoughby Farm's operations may be in jeopardy due to the reduced property tax levy amount that was approved on Dec. 20. Bitzer was the sole board member to vote against the reduction.

However, board member Andrew Carruthers, who proposed to cut the levy by $333,000, said funding for the operation of Willoughby will come from other revenue sources and he is committed to its continued operation.

"Willoughby Farm is one of our newer and more unique recreational opportunities that CARD provides," Carruthers said. "Much of the work that's done at Willoughby Farm is through volunteer labor, from people in the community and in the district who deeply care about the success of that park — and I agree with that."

Willoughby Heritage Farm is a 40-acre site in Collinsville that hosts family-friendly events such as Market Days, Heritage Day and Fall Farm Day. The farm also provides educational activities for student visitors and hosts gardening classes, outdoor children's activities and private parties. Funding for the purchase of the farm came from a $350,000 grant from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land.

Collinsville High School senior Dominic Baima works as a program facilitator at Willoughby as well as a lifeguard at Splash City.

"I think it's the best facility that CARD operates," said Baima, who is also an Eagle Scout. "... I've seen kids pet a rabbit for the first time and get to see goats for the first time. It has endless opportunities."

Baima, 17, said many of his fellow Eagle Scouts did their projects at Willoughby; their work includes an observation deck, trail guide, seating area and bridge.

Joe Ashmann, former owner of Ashmann Pharmacy in Downtown Collinsville, is spearheading a new group called CARD Watch-Collinsville. Although he opposes the park district's spending practices, he doesn't want to see the farm close.

"I will speak for that entire group of people: They are not against recreation areas like Woodland Park or Willoughby Farm," Ashmann said of the 15-20 members of the group. "I think the furthest thing in their mind is to close Willoughby Farm. I think it would be ignorant for them to do so."

Recreation district commissioner Spike Bryant voted for the reduced levy and said there is going to have to be some cooperation between board members to figure out how to properly fund Willoughby and other CARD programs.

"There has been no decision on which operations will be affected — we're going to have to look at everything," Bryant said. "You have to make some priorities, see which programs need to be kept and which can be reduced or curtailed."

Contact reporter Ramona C. Sanders at 618-344-0264, ext. 136