One of the latest issues at hand is a Kane County Forest Preserve District referendum to ask permission to issue $30 million in general obligation bonds to fund the acquisitionof up to 2,000 acres of open land as well as maintenance and preservation of currently held lands and facilities. At such a sensitive time in the economy – when unemployment and foreclosure remains high and with gas prices soaring, many Kane County residents are having a hard time swallowing this request. I think the big question everyone is asking is this: is this the best time to burden the taxpayers with additional expenses for what could be called something that’s non-essential?

I, like I’m sure many others, have conflicting opinions on the subject. On one hand, I don’t like to see new taxes added to my bill. Officials have estimated the average tax burden for a $300,000 home to be about $15 a year. Now that doesn’t sound too bad but like the saying goes, those little pieces of straw can add up fast and quickly become back-breaking. For many Kane County homeowners who have sometimes had to choose between eating and making mortgage payments, $15 for more forest preserves seems ridiculous.