Fact Check: Response to Crystal Lake Park Board president's letter to residents in newsletter

The upcoming letter from the Crystal Lake Park District Board President Fred Tiesenga, contains many misleading statements. At the recent public Board meeting John Collins, member of the McHenry County Board, called out these errors. Below are Fred’s claims followed by John’s counterpoints.

Fred’s Claim: Real estate taxes have increased 21% from 2012-2022.

John: The tax rate for the Park District has gone down, not up. In 2015 the Park District’s effective tax rate was 0.5582%. Today, it is 0.4500%, a 19% decrease in the amount you pay per dollar of property value. (Source: Park District’s 2024 Comprehensive Audit)

Fred’s Claim: You [the resident] are carrying more of the fixed cost of our Park District, while variable users pay less.

John: Out of district users pay higher fees to participate. (Source.)

Fred’s Claim: From 2012-2022, total salaries and wages paid by the Park District to staff our programs increased from $4.7 million to $5.2 million. Are we getting value for this increased spending on personnel?

John: Yes, and the state minimum wage has gone up from $8.25 to $15.00 from 2012 to 2025. With 421, or 85%, of the employees of the Park District being part time it is not surprising that wage cost has increased. (Source: Illinois Department of Labor).

John believes that many residents will be told that they are “just paying the bills for others” and that taxes are “a condition of keeping your house.” He states “that kind of rhetoric is misleading, divisive, and frankly inappropriate.”

John also explains to the Park District Residents, “[these fear tactics] try to make neighbors feel like victims, or worse, like someone else is getting a free ride. But that’s not how public services work. You may not use every walking trail, baseball field, or summer camp, but these are shared resources that raise everyone's property values, support public health, reduce crime, and build community. The Park District budget isn’t a threat to your home. It’s an investment in your neighborhood. Let’s instead demand honest budgeting, real transparency, and a shared commitment to maintaining the value and the values of the place we all live.”

You can find John’s full letter here.

Fred’s claims are backed by a company called StatisTax, a statistics company co-owned by his brother, Edward N. Tiesenga (Source: Page 25-27). On the website’s disclaimer, it states “StatisTax, LLC, [does] not promise or warrant that any of the data or material they encompass or provide is exhaustive, correct, or without inaccuracy.”