Misguided. Daft. Inept. Disingenuous. Or a glorious expression of democracy at work?
Just what was that Park District of Oak Park referendum on building an indoor pool? The referendum that went down in flames 75% to 25% on March 17. The referendum based on a dubious survey of some villagers that asked, “Wouldn’t it be great to have an indoor pool for the elders and kiddies and lap swimmers! Hoorah!” It was the referendum question that did not mention the new pool would take the place of the outdoor pool that has beckoned at Ridgeland and Lake for some 60 years. It was the pool referendum the park board coughed up out of the blue in December at the last possible moment to get it on the March ballot, the pool project that had not been on a board agenda as an identifiable plan during 2025.
This was the pool referendum the park district effectively orphaned and disowned almost immediately after it was publicized. Perhaps when it became crystal clear on social media that voters hated it and questioned where it came from.
Sure, there was a page on the district’s website with pretty renderings and a tax calculator. There were a handful of open houses. But where was the Citizens Committee for a New Pool out making the case and building support. Where was the signature page in the local paper with the names of the hundreds who supported the plan? And why did park officials, both elected and appointed, immediately say, “Our survey said some notable percentage of residents want an indoor pool, so here is one, and, oh, yes, it is in place of one of the two current outdoor pools, and honestly we don’t care if you vote it up or down, but, hey, democracy in action. Hoorah!”
It seems to be in the DNA of Oak Parkers to support tax hike referendums. Almost every one passes, even as people rightly crab about how high their property taxes have risen. So to lose a referendum by a 3-1 margin takes some doing.
The park district professes contentment at the outcome. It should be feeling humbled at having fully misread its constituents.