Critics slam Illinois’ $36M park grants as political, wasteful

By Cat Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Pritzker administration’s recent announcement of $36 million in state grants for local park projects is drawing criticism from taxpayer advocates who say the program is politically selective, inefficient and funded a tax burden on Illinois residents.

Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced $36 million in Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants for 67 park projects across Illinois, funding things like walking paths, playgrounds, pickleball courts, and sports facilities.

However, Brian Costin, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity–Illinois, said the announcement overlooks serious concerns about how the money is collected and distributed.

“This is a question of fairness,” Costin told TCS. “There are 1,295 municipalities and 347 park districts in the state of Illinois, and only 67 grants were awarded. That’s less than 5%. Who gets the grants, and who doesn’t? It’s very susceptible to politics.”

The OSLAD program is funded in part by Illinois’ real estate transfer tax, a fee paid when property changes hands. Costin noted that many states do not impose a state-level transfer tax at all.

“It’s basically a sales tax on selling your home,” Costin said. “We already have the second-highest, or depending on the metric, the highest, property taxes in the nation. This is just another tax layered on top in a state that already has the highest combined state and local tax burden in the country.”

Critics say Illinois’ park grant program is weighed down by bureaucracy, political favoritism, and uneven distribution, diverting attention and resources from the state’s deeper financial problems.

Costin criticized the structure of the grant program itself, arguing that the application and selection process creates unnecessary administrative costs.

“There are huge administration costs that go along with this,” he said. “There’s a very long application process, there’s no real transparency in how decisions are made, and there’s a lot of deadweight loss. Why don’t we just leave the money in communities to begin with?”

Several communities awarded grants publicly thanked Pritzker in statements included in the state’s announcement. Costin said that dynamic highlights what he sees as a fundamental problem.

“We shouldn’t be forced to show gratitude to get our own tax dollars back,” Costin said. “It’s a very backwards way of doing things. This turns into PR and political messaging instead of an efficient way to distribute public money.”

Costin acknowledged that grants this year went to communities represented by both Republicans and Democrats but said the timing and promotion of the awards remain problematic.

“In the past, these grants have been rolled out right before elections to generate positive press,” he said. “It’s supposed to be a cost-sharing program, but it ends up creating conflict when only a handful of communities are picked as winners.”

Costin argued that if the state insists on maintaining the program, funding should be distributed more evenly.

“Every community should receive funding based on population or a clear formula, not a selective process where a few winners are chosen from a laundry list of applicants,” said Costin.

He also questioned whether park amenities should be considered a top priority given Illinois’ broader fiscal challenges.

“We have $140 billion in pension debt, more than any other state,” Costin said. “It feels like fiddling while Rome burns.”

The Pritzker administration has defended the OSLAD program as a long-standing investment in public recreation and quality of life. The program has awarded more than $675 million since its creation in 1986.