A $333,000 reduction in the Collinsville Area Recreation District's 2012 operating budget may jeopardize the operations of Willoughby Heritage Farm, according to board president Mary Ann Bitzer.
"(The budget) is not going to fund our museum fund for Willoughby Farm and that means water, electricity, the salary for the people who work there," Bitzer said. "Literally, if it is not funded, we're going to have to shut it down."
The fund reduction is the result of a decreased property tax levy that was approved 4-1 by the recreation district's board of commissioners last week. Bitzer cast the only vote against the levy.
The original tax levy proposal prepared by exiting executive director Mark Badasch earmarked $160,000 for Willoughby; the tax levy that passed on Dec. 20 reduced the fund to $20,000. The total tax levy approved was $1,316,000; 20 percent less than the $1,649,732 that Badasch proposed.
Commissioner Andrew Carruthers proposed the decrease. He said he wanted to reduce the tax levy so that property taxes can be lower and more bond debt can be paid off.
"I wanted to restructure the levy so we can devote more of our tax revenues for the payment of our debt service, and in so doing we had to revise what Mark had suggested from a month ago," Carruthers said. "He wanted to levy more money for operational expenses to the detriment of our debt service. My idea is that we would decrease what we levy in operational expenses to make our debt payment."
However, Bitzer said the original proposal would have decreased property taxes and paid towards the district's bond debt. She said Badasch was aware of a possible decrease in property value in the recreation district's boundaries and that the original proposal took that decrease into consideration.
"We would have reduced taxes and would have been able to pay all of our bills," Bitzer said of the original proposal submitted in October.
Bitzer said the reduced tax levy amount will "cripple" the district.
"The other funds that (Carruthers) refused to fund is our paving and lighting and our special rec fund for kids with disabilities," Bitzer said. "It's 20-25 percent of our operations and it will be almost catastrophic."
Willoughby Heritage Farm is a 40-acre site in Collinsville that hosts family-friendly events such as Market Day, Heritage Day and Fall Fun Day. The farm also provides educational activities for student visitors and hosts gardening classes, outdoor children's activities and private parties. Recreation district spokesperson Elizabeth Davis said it has about 20-30 daily visitors and some events have up to 1,000 attendees.
Carruthers said he is not calling for the closure of Willoughby.
"Just because we don't levy $160,000 for it doesn't mean we are going to take that important recreational opportunity away," Carruthers said. "We're just going to pay for it in a different way."
But Bitzer said she's not sure how. A special board meeting was scheduled for Dec. 26 to discuss amending the tax levy ordinance but was canceled because state law prohibits special meetings on legal holidays.
"(Carruthers) is saying off the top of his head, 'We have to find the money somewhere else,' without knowing how we're going to find it," Bitzer said. "We have to sit down and plan this."
Contact reporter Ramona C. Sanders at 618-344-0264, ext. 136
