Following a situation where a helicopter landed for a prom event in a public park in south suburban Markham, city officials are moving forward to take charge of the park district.
The Markham City Council on Wednesday passed a measure to ask residents in the upcoming November election if the city should assume control of its parks, an initiative that some locals are already advocating for. Officials mentioned that if there is enough support for this advisory referendum, they could introduce a binding referendum on the ballot during next April’s municipal elections.
City leaders have been working for over a year to gain authority over the park district.
Quintina Brown, executive director of the Markham Park District, arranged for a helicopter to send off her daughter to prom, which then landed at Roesner Park without permission on May 8. This event caused significant outrage online and within the community.
The park district operates separately from the city government, but a group of seniors in Markham is determined to change that.
“That’s why we’re going to start petitions,” Ann Jones said.
A door-to-door petition circulating in Markham aims to gather enough backing from residents to ensure children can use the parks again and gain better access to community centers.
“In most towns and areas, if people want to hold family gatherings, they can rent out spaces at reasonable prices. We’re always told we can’t use it; it’s not available for us,” said De Lois White-Halbert, who has lived in Markham for more than 40 years.
They highlighted one community center that had a padlock on its front door.
City administrator Derrick Champion stated their primary concern is understanding why these community centers aren’t being utilized if they’re open.
Champion noted that the helicopter incident emphasized another reason why city officials have been pressing the park district for transparency and wishing to return parks under city management.
The city sought legal action earlier this year aiming for a temporary restraining order that would restrict Brown and the park district from signing contracts without approval from the larger park board. However, no ruling has been made yet; thus, now the City Council is looking to pose this question directly to voters about whether they want the city managing the park district.
“I think it’s a valid question because there has been mismanagement at the park district for years,” Champion remarked.
No representatives from the park district responded when contacted for comments.
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