The Park District of Oak Park Board of Commissioners is committed to transparency and ensuring residents have all the facts about the pool referendum discussed in Wednesday Journal’s Jan. 7 editorial and accompanying cartoon.
Public projects — particularly those involving public finances — deserve scrutiny based on facts. Residents should ask questions and understand that this decision belongs to voters, not the board of commissioners.
This referendum is not unexpected. It reflects several years of community input through surveys and planning, during which residents consistently expressed a need for year-round aquatics for lessons, fitness, therapy, and recreation. This feedback was incorporated into the district’s 2025–2029 Comprehensive Master Plan.
• In 2019, 41% of respondents identified an indoor pool as the single most important addition to park district facilities.
• In 2023, 69% of respondents supported or strongly supported a property tax increase to help pay for the cost of an indoor community pool.
Wednesday Journal reported on this feedback in March and April 2024.
A board review of site options, costs, code requirements and community needs included an assessment of the existing outdoor pool at the Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex. That pool is more than 60 years old, nearing the end of its use, and will require an estimated $10 million in repairs. Locating the indoor aquatics facility at Ridgeland allows the district to build on existing pool infrastructure while avoiding the additional costs of developing a new site.
On Dec. 18, 2025 at its regularly scheduled meeting, the board voted to place the question on the March 17, 2026, primary ballot, putting the final decision in the residents’ hands.
Residents may disagree about whether an indoor aquatics facility is the right investment for Oak Park. That decision belongs with voters, informed by accurate information. Project details, survey data, and a tax-impact calculator are available at www.pdop.org/indoor-pool, along with information about community sessions beginning Thursday, Jan. 22.
At its core, the decision before voters is whether to invest approximately $10 million in a seasonal outdoor pool used about three months each year, or $40 million in an indoor aquatics facility designed for year-round use. If the measure is not approved, the Park District will pursue repairs to the existing Ridgeland outdoor pool.
Kassie Porreca, President
Jake Worley-Hood, Vice President
Sandy Lentz, Secretary
Chris Wollmuth, Treasurer
Ade Onayemi, Commissioner
Park District of Oak Park Board of Commissioners
