Oak Park deserves straight answers about the Park District of Oak Park’s plan to demolish the Ridgeland Common outdoor pool. Instead, voters are being asked to swallow a $40 million tax increase — on top of recent hikes and service cuts like leaf pickup — without being told the full story.
Imagine if the library proposed a referendum to buy e-books — but didn’t mention it would destroy half the physical collection.
That would never be tolerated. Yet that’s effectively what’s happening here.
The referendum language does not mention eliminating an existing community pool. We now know it was drafted by outside bond counsel — lawyers retained in connection with issuing the bonds to finance demolition and construction if the measure passes. The district’s executive director, Jan Arnold, denies any intention to be vague [1]. But the problem isn’t vagueness. It’s omission.
Voters should be able to rely on the plain language of a referendum to understand what they are authorizing. This one says nothing about demolishing a pool at Ridgeland — or even building one there. Many residents reasonably believe the text they’re voting on will produce a new pool at the CRC, a misunderstanding rooted in the district’s chosen language.
The plan itself remains underbaked. What happens to families who rely on Ridgeland when Rehm is packed? Both outdoor pools rely on temporary help from students on summer break; how would permanent staffing work, and at what cost? Why would a potential resource-sharing agreement with Forest Park — dangled at the last minute [2] — depend on closing our own pool? And why is demolition the only option rather than adding a new pool on one of the disused lots around town?
For a $40 million decision, this isn’t enough.
The Ridgeland pool is a community asset. If leaders believe demolition is imperative — and urgent — they must say so openly in the referendum, not bury it elsewhere. Until they level with voters, the responsible choice is No.
Sources:
[1] https://www.oakpark.com/2026/01/13/park-chief-pool-referendum
[2] https://www.oakpark.com/2026/01/27/park-leaders-make-case-indoor-pool-ridgeland-common
Gregory Shill
Oak Park
