What "Hank" and the other Alderman fail to understand is that this is a tax on top of a tax on top of a tax! Yes it is only 1%. But if some of you think this will be the end of the increased taxes in OF you are badly mistaken. The sales tax of tiny OF is comparable now to that of the city of chicago...keep that in mind. Alderwoman Laura Clemons should be a used car sales person if she can pull explaining how the city has increased taxes this much and make the property owners feel good about it.

This mayor and the council need to go in the next election. I would be willing to vote for ANYONE in the next election but Kuspa and the current board. They are doing so much damage.

They were going to "raise the property taxes 15 percent"...really? What a bunch of scum! Time to all leave office and get people in there that know what the hell they are doing!

"The council decided we are not reducing city services to the residents any more."

So in other words expect increased taxes. We are just waiting for the housing prices to come up a little and then our place is on the market...Oak Forest is going to be a future dump and you can blame the current and previous Mayors and Aldermans for it.

Yes, when they determine they came up short with this 1percent idea,they will increase our property taxes AGAIN. UNREAL.

I just wanted to go back and check what the rate will be. It will be going from 8.5 to 9.5 % in oak forest. That IS comparable to chicago. Something is really wrong with this picture.

While I hate an increase in costs as much as anyone, it cracks me up reading how many people want to "throw the bums out" but in reality when election time comes up, there will be few if any people who will offer to actually run for one of the offices when they realize the commitment of time and effort that these elected positions require. I would love to move to a different area but where else it any different unless you move to a place like Florida with no income tax? 1% is less than the pack of gum or Enquirer you grab at the checkout if you spend $100 on groceries! OF residents are fortunate to live in a city with outstanding schools, very little crime and a generally nice place to live!

It says to AVOID raising property taxes!

The city of Oak Forest needs to do a much better job of bringing business to town. To Alderman Laura Clemons comment on shopping at Wal Mart in Country Club Hills: If there were a Wal Mart or K Mart or Target or whatever here in town, I'm 100% positive the Oak Forest residents would shop there. Almost every surrounding town does a better job of attracting business. Look at Country Club Hills, Tinley Park, Orland Park and Crestwood.

@josh,well stated. There's a SuperTarget in Tinley, a Target in crestwood and Target in orland park and a superwalmart in orland hills-OF has...? As Richard Devines says-hey we got a aldis and a food4less,that's all we need!

It's obvious and we all know that until the city can attract businesses to setup shop in Oak Forest, we will continue to have revenue shortfalls. The sales tax is a "bandaid fix". The odds this will work is slim to none and will encourage other start-up businesses to stay away from OF. So, the mayor and council can report that they will be forced to raise property taxes, because the sales tax did not fill the gap shortfall. And, instead of 15% property increase, it will be only 10%. The solution is to attract new business, but either nothing is being done or it just won't happen. I would like to hear what we are doing to bring in new revenue other than sales and property tax proposals.

I have heard other local towns added a "Home Tax" so I do not think we need to compare ourselves to Chicago alone. I do not know all the facts so I cannot say I agree or disagree I can say it is a hard economical time for everyone - individuals, families, businesses, and Cities!

Having a Target, Wal-Mart, etc. in town would be awesome I would shop there all the time - I hate the drive to either Crestwood, Tinley Park, or Orland Hills when I live in Oak forest. I wish I could shop more in Oak Forest but we do not have many stores to shop at.

Really? Every time I shop at Walmart I contribute to another town's til? No s%^t Sherlock! That is because we don't have one. Just about the dumbest explanation I have ever heard. And we are to believe that made the light bulb go on in the constituent's head?
If Oak Forest attracted the businesses and retailers that surrounding towns did residents wouldn't need to shop elsewhere.
Aw hell. Just get me the hell out of Dodge. You can't argue with stupid.

Dummycrats,,,Tax and spend and tax and spend and tax and spend! Keep voting for them and you will continue to get the rectal cork screw! First the dime at the pump now this. Which in time will go up along with property taxes as this abortion of an idea will fall short of the expectations. As Forrest Gump's mama said "Stupid is as stupid does"

Cut out take home municipal vehicles/gas like others have suggested to save money-many towns have cut this out... why do we still have it?

Oh,,,and a LAST RESORT? What's next,,,a total shut down of City services? Don't count on it! Every Tax hike by these buffoons is a last resort! If they could, they would drag the seniors and children out and capitalize on them too! It's their M.O.!

What ever happened to THE SOX BUILDING THE SOX CAMP where the empty CAR LOT is on 159th by Jewel??????

Anyone want to hear what Oak Forest TAX ADVOCATE GUY GATTONE's theory for the high taxes in Oak Forest are?..."well it's the economy, but what's also a large problem is the spending of public schools in Oak Forest-tell your teachers to stop spending the money." This GUY seems like a quack.

Dutch oven chef, it seems as though I am always receiving an alert from one of my kids school about someone trying to get kids in their car. Just last week we received a letter indicating that between 151st and 152nd on Kilborn someone tried to get a kid in their vehicle. Safe, this is the 3rd time in this school year!

Raising taxes is not the way to go. Instead of giving overtime to city workers during snow season, hire seasonal workers like Chicago does. Have the city works department stop aimlessly driving around neighborhoods wasting gas(one truck was just driving up and down block by block, looking for what?). Stop the snow plows from ruining property that has to be constantly replaced. Not to mention the building of a huge welcome sign only to be torn down a year or two later. Waste waste waste!

I can't think of any big strides the current mayor did since he was elected. He has no ideas on how to get business into this town. Raise taxes of course. Paying almost nine grand on my house for taxes every year and I'm sure that will keep going up no matter what I try to do about it. The majority of residents didn't know about this vote on Tuesday. How are our representatives to represent us if we are kept in the dark. It is true that many residents have the patch but many don't so where will they receive their communication aside from being proactive. Besides that, do you really think the aldermen vote how the people want them to vote? It seems that this city is run by a circle of friends. Money wasted, especially by the city works. Still thinking of moving out but there is probably a huge tax on selling the house. Thank God we both work or this would be unbearable. I will shop more outside Oak Forest starting in July. Good Luck with the revenue increase oak Forest.

The quoted statements from both the elected an on-elected officials once again proves how clueless they really are. All of their talk is pure spin/damage control.

Of course if I go to Walmart I'm going to pay tax for another town. You know why? Because we don't have a store like that in town and never will. If I need some hardware quick, I cant go to ACE anymore so I have to go out of town for that as well. There's only so many auto parts you can buy in town though.

That threat of the 15% tax increase is bull. You know why? Because they would have had to put an increase like that on a referendum and whats the chances of it passing then? If you look at your tax bill, the city levy has gone up close to 15% in 3 years. Why 3 years? Because im pretty sure they can only raise the tax 4.99% a year before having to put it on a referendum. Dont be fooled by this bunch.

I am extremely disappointed with the lack of communication regarding the proposed and recently passed sales tax. The recent referendum on electrical aggregation was communicated to us via the OF emergency phone system. I now notice on the OF website under News, the sales tax proposal was communicated on Friday, March 23rd, and passed on Tuesday March 27th. Not much time for us to contact our alderman with our thoughts. I sense the Mayor and council really knew this would be unpopular so waited until the last minute to announce this proposal. I thought the job of our public servants was to solicit our input so they may make informed decisions. I am confident there were other proposals other than sales and property tax increases, and would hope in the future the citizens would have a voice, even if we are outvoted by the council. That's only fair, don't you think?

This is not the businesses fault, it is a government group buying a the church, raising the water, raising the refuse hauling, paying for Economic Development that has not happened and spending every dime they have been given by the citizens. If they are existing now without adding those full-time positions, why would they want to add them now. Add a Deputy Chief for Police at this time when you don't really need one? Why do that?

Who is the person that does all the revenue estimates up at city haul, that person and the Treasurer should probably be replaced! Let's look at all the high salaries and see what is needed and what can be cut, I would believe people would be surprised by what many are making up there! Eliminate any supervisors that are not needed, I would believe you would save $500,000 there! They won't make the cuts to their friends, but they will continue to increase the burden on all the rest!

These Aldermen and City Administrators talk like this is a community like Orland or Tinley, it is not! It is time to stop all the spending and live within their means. What is the next alternative, raising property taxes would not be a solution for the city! Do not confuse the city taxing authority with any other taxing body, they are not something you can compare! Each are separate entities!!

It just looks like poor management of city funds!!

Hmmm, how much will next years increase be toward the short falls they create this year now that they approved it? How about a pay cut of 1% for city hall? Sorry Oak Forest Businesses, Nothing against you, but I wont be shopping here anymore because I know next year the tax will be applied to food, etc..this is just a slick ease into what they plan to do in the future. I spend ALOT of money in this town to support the business, heck I should own Jewel..NO MORE!!! I am tire of paying the price for political screw ups!!

As much as I love Oak Forest, our "Leaders" just don't get it. Having the highest sales taxes and gas taxes in the area have NOT gotten us any more business. Do our business leaders ever drive around town and go ask themselves why we have nothing but small-scale retail shops here as everyone has pointed out? Take the blinders off, balance the budget like the citizens and businesses have to; by cutting costs. After the businesses leave, property owners will begin to leave as well. Someone has make the hard, unpopular decisions in the Administration to change the course of the Titanic and bring business and customers back.

How much do we spend on Consultants and Lawyers??? Why do we have people working and running Oak Forest ? We need to get rid of one or the other...

If the city of Oak Forest has a budget shortfall here is an idea to save a lot of money everyone knows what the price of gas is now its over $4.00 a gallon.Take a look at the police car fleet in OF they are all V8 engine Ford Crown Victorias gas hogs I know I owned one and dumped it years ago. Why have these cars not been replaced little by little until they were all out of the fleet. We need 6 cylinder police cars there is no need for a V8 anymore other cities have done this as well as Cook County Forest Preserve Police and Sherriff they use V 6 Chevy Impalas. The OF police cars get maybe 14 miles per gallon around the city with air conditioning running a lot less. I know i will hear we dont have money for new police cars but like I said before they should have been slowly replacing these gas hogs little by little over the years just think how much money would be saved on the budget paying less for gas for all those police cars.

Who pays for the gas when the officers drive their squads off duty to jewel or out for lunch??

Why not have all municipal employees live in town like it used to be? Now they take the money from OF and spend it elsewhere. Then there will be fewer homes vacant as well and back on the tax rolls.Also if the banks that own these homes dont pay the taxes on them pass a home rule that will have them pay or that OF can repo the homes at a tax sale , and have them occupied and paying their fair share. Unless the politians here are also in the bankers pocket. THE BANKS CAUSED THIS PROBLEM LET THEM PAY INSTEAD OF THE TAX PAYER.

Just what is the deal with OF contracting with a landscaper to maintain foreclosed and abandoned properties? Yes, these properties need to be kept up to code, but wouldn't it be more reasonable to use someone already on the city payroll to do this and not pay a contracted landscaper around $9000 to mow grass? The city government needs to stop spending money on many things.

I'd also like to know how many employees and their titles in each city department. I'll bet that there are positions that are occupied that are not necessary. Naturally, I don't want to see people lose their jobs, but the city is bleeding to death and the residents are taking the brunt of the burden.

Have offenders serving community service hours cut the grass instead of us paying for it.

Dave K.
While I agree with some of the topics posted here, but not all of them, My wife and I just ate at an Oak Forest Restaurant - NEW HORIZON - because I don't blame our neighbors who make a living in Oak Forest, and I will do everything to SUPPORT THEM!.
Tax or no tax. We neeed to stop putting the burden on our current business, remeber they could be your neighbor. You are not doing anyone any good by boycotting Oak Forest. If you don't like the way the city is running, GET OUT AND VOTE!! Pickett city hall, make calls to your alderperson, call the mayor, go to a council meeting, use your voice! Why do we have to make the business' suffer for the mistakes of goverment? What have the local business done to deserve this disrespect from us? Most are just hanging on, this town will never turn around if we don't support them. And that's what we should do, support them, take a different approach to fight city hall.

@ Klusacek: You ask "Why do we have to make the business' suffer for the mistakes of goverment?" It is the government making the businesses suffer,,not we the people. People are protesting albeit not with pickets signs outside city hall, but by making purchases outside OF to avoid paying the sales tax. This response is not targeted personally at the businesses but at the City of OF. This situation was created by the City of OF and as a direct result of the back lash, the business's are caught in the middle and wind up on the short end! Chicago's Sale tax is 9.5% for a population of 12,869,257. Oak Forest Sales tax is now going to be 9.25% just a 1/4% shy of Chicago's and our population is a mere 27,962. Kinda makes you wonder, how come ours is as high, for a city whose budget couldn't hold a candle to Chicago's budget and who's population is less than 1/8 of a % than Chicago's. Mismanagement seems to come into mind! Familiarity Breeds Contempt. It's easier for them to keep taxing because the people just roll over ,,grumble a bit about it and just go on about there lives! Rather than sit down and take a serious look and tighten the belts and cut! Wait,,,we are still going to be corn holed with a property tax increase. Mark my words,,it will come! THEY DON"T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE!!!

Chicago's population is not over 12 million!!!!

Maybe the tax would not have been needed if the city was not using tax payer dollars to pay for facade improvements for businesses in Oak Forest.

@ McCarthy,,it was a typo, should be 2,869,257

i see a decline in oak forest we are in a recession we dont need a higher tax on food the elected officials have done nothing to get better business here shop oak forest for WHAT there is no target no walmart nothing for the average family to buy here in our city other cities have done a better job of luring and snagging business to come to our area and because there our no good stores our revenue has fallen and will fall and our services will decline crime is here vandals are here but this is a good area and the families and people here need to be helped and supported