The Princeton Park District code explicitly states that its commissioners act without compensation, yet the district could spend up to $14,070 in one season alone on memberships and fee waivers for them, a watchdog group reported on Illinois Leaks recently.
In the article, the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) broke down the cost of memberships and fee waivers that may be given to the park district commissioners for the winter season alone, including hundreds of dollars in sports league fees and more than $1,000 on rental costs.
It said the total per commissioner could reach $2,814, for a total among the five members of $14,070.
ECW acknowledged that not every commissioner might not ask for all or any of the designated amount, but said a change still needs to be made.
Previously, the board had given both board members and their family members free memberships to park district facilities. When the public questioned that practice in 2015, family members began receiving bills for their memberships.
The board also passed an ordinance in August 2015 that gave its commissioners a free membership and fee waivers. The justification was that they needed to participate in the district's programs and services. They also said they needed direct input from those who participate in park district activities.
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