City of Collinsville issued the following announcement on Nov. 21.
The City of Collinsville has filed and served against the Collinsville Area Recreational District (CARD), and its board members, a Complaint for Injunctive Relief and a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order relating to CARD’s intention to use a cash reserve of nearly $3,000,000 collected in part as taxes for park and recreation services, and instead pay down its bond debt.
The City of Collinsville is committed to its residents and taxpayers that park and recreation related tax dollars be spent for park and recreation related purposes.Likewise, taxes that CARD has collected for long term bond payments should be the only money used for long term bond payments. The City of Collinsville believes that CARD’s intentions to distribute its the nearly $3,000,00 unused Cash on Hand balance towards long-term bond debt is an inappropriate use of the taxes that were originally collected in part for the maintenance, improvement, and operations of parks in the City of Collinsville.
On November 6, 2018 Madison County and St. Clair County voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of the dissolution of CARD. Prior to the dissolution vote, CARD has divested itself of the ownership and operations of several of its assets in the form of real estate and personal property.
Pleasant Ridge Park was deeded to Maryville, while Arlington Golf Course is being leased to a private party. Schnucks Park, Splash City Waterpark, and Willoughby Farm were deeded to the City of Collinsville.Parks that were owned by the City of Collinsville and formerly leased to CARD are Woodland Park, Glidden Park, Jaycees Sports Complex and Morris Hills Park. The City of Collinsville has now formed its own Parks and Recreation department to run and oversee the parks in Collinsville.
Tax paying owners of property located within the City of Collinsville total in excess of sixty percent (60%) the total of tax paying property owners that are subject to the jurisdiction of CARD’s real estate tax levying authority.The other municipalities that make up CARD’s tax base are Collinsville Township, Maryville, Glen Carbon and Pontoon Beach.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up