The Metropolitan Park Commission is a creature of the state—not of the particular communities directly affected—and over its fortunes the legislature has maintained a constant fostering care, extending and defining its jurisdiction by successive acts, and granting fresh financial powers as occasion arose. Local home rule is a political principle not so firmly established there as in Illinois. Here it would not be feasible to create a similar body by legislative fiat without the concurring vote of the people of the district over which its jurisdiction extended. Legislation designed for similar ends is more likely, in this state, to take the general form of enlargement of the powers and functions of the city and the county; or, especially if more than one county is involved, of the creation of a special commission endowed with extraordinary powers and similar in many of its features to the forest-preserve districts contemplated by the Act approved May 18, 1905.[39] This measure, which is entitled “An Act to provide for the creation of forest-preserve districts,” authorizes the incorporation as a forest-preserve district of any area of contiguous territory containing one or more cities, towns, or villages within the same or adjoining counties. Such a district can only be organized by the affirmative vote of the inhabitants; and if it embraces parts of two counties, there must be a favorable vote in each. The affairs of the district are to be managed by a president and six commissioners, appointed by the governor and drawn from different political parties. The president alone receives a salary. The board is authorized to accept control of streets in any city, town, or village on request of the local authorities, and to designate existing streets and roads as pleasure driveways, and lay out and establish others for that purpose; but none of these is to be within any public park district. Power is given to acquire, by gift, purchase, or condemnation, any land not already in a park district for driveways and forest preserves. Bonds may be issued to the amount of one per cent of the assessed value of all property in the district, and this amount may be increased by a vote of the people to three per cent. Authority is given to levy taxes for the payment of bonds and interest thereon, and also to levy for general purposes an additional tax not exceeding one mill on the dollar.