2025 Election Questionnaire: Dean Bourdages, DeKalb Park District Board of Commissioners

Name: Dean Bourdages

What office are you seeking? Dekalb Park Board Commissioner

What is your political party? N/A

What is your current age? 65

Occupation and employer: I am retired.

What offices, if any, have you previously held? None

City: DeKalb

Campaign Website: No

Education: I went through the Cortland and Dekalb school systems and attended Kishwaukee College.

Community Involvement: I coached and was an assistant coach for a variety of sports thru the Dekalb Park District.

Marital status/Immediate family: Married 43 years, 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Questions:

Why are you running?

Now that I am retired I have the opportunity to get involved in the community. I enjoy being outside and participating in outdoor recreation. When I found out there were three openings on the Park District Board I decided that this could be a good fit for me. Parks are not just places for recreation; they are vital to our health, well being and social connection. I want to ensure that our parks, golf courses and pool are accessible, safe, and welcoming for all residents, regardless of age or ability. By running for the Park District, I hope to bring fresh ideas and a collaborative approach to decision-making, ensuring every voice is heard and every need is addressed.

What are the DeKalb Park District’s top 3 most pressing needs? How would you address them if elected?

The pool renovation project needs to be monitored. The board and staff need to make sure the project stays within the budget and is finished on time. Some of the park district buildings are old enough now that we need to look at the conditions of the roofs, HVAC , parking lots and roads that are inside our parks. We should formulate a plan that is based on what needs to be replaced or repaired and develop a long term plan.

How often do you make use of DeKalb Park District facilities/grounds/amenities/programming?

I golf at both courses and at times I bike on the trails. When the grandchildren stay at our house they like to go to the new playground located in Hopkins Park.

Do you believe the DeKalb Park District’s budget is prioritizing the right things? If elected, what would you want to see the dollars go to?

I really can’t answer the first part of the question without the knowledge of the current budget and what the board prioritized. The Board now has an opportunity with the new tax dollars that will be finally coming from the Meta Data Center to look at lowering user fees for some of the district services for the district residences.

Hopkins Pool in DeKalb was demolished last November to make way for a new aquatic facility which is projected to open by 2026. The entire project is estimated to cost between $12 to $15 million, according to the park district. That also means DeKalb residents won’t have a public pool for the second summer in a row. Do you agree with this decision? Why or why not?

I was under the impression the pool replacement project was estimated to be costing $9.5 to $10 Million back in February of 2024 when it was approved. Now it’s my understanding the estimated cost is between $12 to $15 million and it will take a extra year. My concern is how is this change going to affect the taxpayer and why the increase? A $2.5 to $5 million difference needs to be looked at and explained to any new board member on what changed. If all the bids were in and plans were finalized back in March or April of 2024, I do not understand why the demo work did not start in the spring of 2024. What are the reasons for the delays? It is a unfortunate situation for the residents and especially the kids of this community not to have a pool to use in the hot summer months for 2 years.

How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?

I see that all Board Members have a park district email address. So a resident can email me with their question or concern and share their phone number in the email and I will reach out to that individual. If a resident does not use email then they can call the Park District office and give staff their phone number and the office can reach out to me and I will return the individuals call.