What are the Oak Brook Park District's Core Values?

Holistic Wellness: Provide programs, services, and opportunities designed to improve all aspects of the overall wellness of the community.

Environmental Stewardship: Foster the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through education, conservation, and sustainable practices.

Inclusion: Promote a sense of belonging and provide access to the very best in park and recreational opportunities for all.

Teamwork: Embrace the individuality and diverse viewpoints of our staff in order to foster recreational creativity and encourage a collaborative culture.

Community Engagement: Provide the very best customer experience with every interaction.

Open Communication: Engage in honest, and respectful communication, to connect and build relationships with our community.

Have the property taxes collected since 2000 more than doubled while the Oak Brook population has declined by 15%?

While the population of Oak Brook has increased 3.5% over the past 10 years*, the property tax collected, excluding the referendum to purchase land in 2018 has increased 53.64%.

If we remove the tax levy attributed to our 2019 General Obligation bonds (“referendum bonds”), which passed with a 68% approval rating, then the total tax rate has increased from .1674 in 2000, to .2572 in 2023.  This represents a 53.64% increase in the tax rate over a 23-year period. Much of this increase is due to inflation. **  

*  Oak Brook Population Trends.pdf

** Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States.pdf

Back in 2015, did Commissioner John O’Brien live and work in another town while being on the Oak Brook Park District Board?

Commissioner John O’Brien was on the board for 22 years, stepping down in 2015.  Throughout his tenure, Commissioner O’Brien owned a home in Oak Brook and paid taxes.  While on the Park District Board, Commissioner O’Brien did travel for his job and frequently called in to join the board meetings which are permissible by Park District Code.  Once Commissioner O’Brien stepped down; the application process began immediately.  Five applications were received, and all five applicants were interviewed by the Park District Board.  Kevin Tan was appointed in 2015 and then elected by the Oak Brook residents in 2017. Click here for more information.

Is the Executive Director salary compared to the Village Manager or other larger park districts excessive?

In 2022, the Village Manager was hired at $182,000 with no prior Village Manager experience. In the same year, the Executive Director’s salary was $182,229 with 12 years of experience. As of 2025, the Village Manager’s salary is $234,555 with 3 years of experience.  The Executive Director’s estimated salary is $204,985 for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. The Executive Director will make $31,000 less than the Village manager in the agencies’ 2025-26 fiscal years. This is only an estimate as the Park District Budget has not been approved as of today.  

The Executive Director of the Naperville Park District was hired in 2022 with no prior experience as an Executive Director at $169,000. After 2 years of experience, the Executive Director’s salary is $183,818. In 2023/2024, the Oak Brook Executive Director’s salary was 189,530 with 14 years of experience.  

The Executive Director of the Elmhurst Park District was promoted in 2012 and in 2024 has a salary of $196,804. In 2024/2025, the Oak Brook Park District Executive Director’s salary is $197,101.   

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