Residents urge Manteno to find funding after special-recreation access changes
Loading...
Summary
Parents and advocates said Manteno residents with special needs were shut out of several Kankakee Valley Special Recreation programs after rule changes; trustees described funding constraints tied to park-district levies, said the village offered roughly $24,000–$25,000 and staff noted rebates and other short-term options.
Parents and advocates told the village board that several Manteno residents with disabilities were unable to access multiple sessions of Kankakee Valley Special Recreation programming after the co-op changed priority rules, and they urged the village to identify funding or other options to restore participation.
Faith Spivey, who described family members who have relied on the program for years, said the village’s decision not to fund the program left people without social outlets. "Without these programs, my brother sits at home and he has nowhere to go," Spivey said, describing the programs as essential to participants’ social interaction and skill development.
Trustees and staff explained the funding mechanics: the special-recreation cooperative is funded through park-district levies, and Manteno does not have a park district. Village officials said the co-op generally expects funding via a park-district tax roll; municipalities do not have the same special-rec levy authority. Trustee(s) said the village previously offered about $24,000–$25,000 as a contribution and attempted other fundraising ideas including using a village event to host a fundraiser. "The only way that would work for them was that we would put it on a tax roll through a park district. We don't have a park district here," a trustee said.
Village administrator Mr. Larocque said the board had authorized the village to pay the difference between in-district and out-of-district fees in individual cases and that the village had already received several applications and processed rebates; he reported two new applications that day. He encouraged additional meetings with parents and called for a possible return to the parks committee agenda if residents want further action.
Why it matters: Local families said program access matters for quality of life and support for caregivers. Trustees framed the issue as constrained by Illinois levy rules and the structure of special-rec co-ops; they described limited municipal options and expressed reluctance to impose new taxes.
What the board discussed: Trustees said they had met with the special-rec director and that the co-op would not accept a direct donation unless it was collected via a park-district tax roll. Trustees also discussed a possible referendum and other creative fundraising options, noting that they did not want to place a new recurring levy on village taxpayers without broader public support.
Next steps: Trustees suggested returning the matter to the parks committee for further discussion and committed to meeting with parents to explore alternatives; village staff said they would continue to process rebates and field individual requests for assistance.
