When is it going to stop! Why do residents of this community and of the US always get hit with the burden while the people that created the problem continue to not be affected! I am so tired of paying higher prices for food, higher taxes rates for everything, higher utilities, while the quality of our lives continue to go down, food taste worse than ever, and we get nothing but lousy service. Something has got to change. Politicians have ruined our cities and our country!!!!

I will make the trip to Will county as often as I need to, if they raise it! Illinois is a money gluten! Oak Forest is going to a join the gluten club now!

I left my comment on this issue under the other article, my family has always lived by the principal that you spend where you live, with gas, food, ect. we probably spend about 12K per year in OF. I say go ahead and do it, cut off your nose to spite your face. I will never spend a dime in OF again, I will shop at Jewel at 175th & Harlem. Better yet, I will just head over to Indiana and spend my money there, cheaper gas and cheaper sales tax. The only thing this administration is good at is pissing off the residents, so go ahead and do it again. OF will end up losing more than they gain, every resident I have spoken with are now going to boycot and not spend a dime here! Good job to our elected leaders for screwing up again!

Has it ever dawned on the politicians that their SALARIES should be reduced?? Why does no one ever think of that option?

I left this comment in the other article, but it applies here as well.

The statement by Mr. Fox proves how clueless some of our elected officials truly are. I like this nugget, "A home-rule sales tax would spread these costs to nonresidents and diversify our revenues." Really? Says who? And what will happen to that $1.1 million you are projecting when the non-residents stop shopping and eating here when they get wind that taxes are higher here? Will there be another increase in a couple of years, like the water fees, because your actual revenue fell far short of the projections? Because apparently no one ever considered that people would stop using as much water when the rates went up.

Also, how about not spending the money before its actually in hand? Reading some of those statements leads me to believe that its already spent.

I agree, this is becoming a joke. I love my city, I have lived here over half of my life (I'm almost 50). I do what I can, spend my money in town, in fact spend more to shop here but I will also have to stop spending my money in Oak Forest, I'm tired of costantly having my pocket picked. A shame really, I think there are quite a few residents who will now think twice about where to spend their shopping dollars, it's not far to go to Tinley or even Will county to shop, I will not shop in Oak Forest anymore, I will not eat in Oak Forest anymore. Get ready for more businesses to close up shop, they will be the big losers here.

well i have lived in Oak Forest for many many years. i have watched it go from a nice town to where parts are nothing more than a trash pit. Not to long ago there was a article about readers want to know why so slow on central avenue lactated at http://oakforest.patch.com/articles/patch-readers-want-to-know-why-so-slow-on-central-avenue. and everyone was complaining about why don't we have more side walks. And why don't we get better things here in Oak Forest? even some residents said they would do what ever they can to help raise money for the community to grow. and now you guys are saying "no" that you guys wont do what ever it takes to help this community grow. what a shame. and if you don't like the idea of the tax increase don't shop there. i bet most residents would say they shop at the super wal-mart in country club hills for groceries now more than they do at jewel/osco or food 4 less. don't get me wrong i know that once as the price goes up more and more will start shopping else where. me on the other hand i only shop at jewel/osco. i stopped shopping at food 4 less when the door greater patty passed away. but at least i am committed to my community and will continue to shop in oak forest.

and Erin this was not to be directed towards you

I can't blame the current administration for the lack of planning by all the past administrations. Who did not care for what was good for Oak Forest only what was good for themselves. Sounds like the current federal and state politicians.
What is really scary is the huge teacher pensions being paid for by our school district taxes so we will not have any money left to spend anyway..

We pay some of the highest property taxes around. Sales tax is already high on everything. Taxes on gas, liquor etc. is ridiculous. More tax on tangible goods makes buying household goods, auto parts, OTC drugs and lots of things we purposefully buy locally cost more. Now eating at any OF restaurant is going to be taxed more, too. MIdlo, Tinley, Orland can all provide the same goods without the extra tax. Just one more way to tell Oak Forest residents and businesses that the city will spend and we will all pay!

Ron If the revenue stream is so bad why does the city continue to buy property ( arbor school ) and the lasest the methodist church

WhiIe I realize the City has a money problem, it didn't "just" happen! This administration has been sleeping for the past 3 years. We;ve seen businesses leave town and nothing being done to help stop the bleeding. We have a "City Collector" who is a neighbor of the Mayor and whose job was created for him at a 6 figure salary twice that of the previous Deputy Clerk and having less than half the expertise. We have a former Mayor and his wife also making a combined salary + benefits of $100,000+, and why? The wife's job, "Office Manager" of the Building Department, was created for her by the previous Mayor. Who does she manage? One staffer and a part time senior gentleman! Again, friends of the current Mayor who will never be out of their jobs! Would I support a City sales tax?? Not until I see some real cuts, particularly those I just mentioned, and some effort to bring in business for sales tax revenue. Another 1% will make that task that much harder.

This is going to push people out of Oak Forest to shop! I would rather travel 5 more minutes out of OF to pay less in tax! We are being taxed to death! It needs to stop!

Since you are quoting me out of context from the new train station article let me make something clear..I meant we need additional businesses to bring in more money, not to raise the tax on already high prices at all Oak Forest businesses......

I reccomend you get the the Dave Ramsey dvds or take the 13 week classes and learn how to budget. Do i get a raise from work if i cannot pay my bills. NO you idiots i budget what i have. I cut back. Do you all need life insurance thru the city NO!, Cut back. Get off your high horses and cut back. merge wards and get rid of some of the aldermen. Most don't do anything anyway. Really look into Dave Ramsey it will do you a world of good. Not just our town but all of you. Get out of the rat race. LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE TODAY SO LATER YOU CAN ,LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE. Get rid of credit cards, car payments. Do you really need that expensive car, or can a 3000- 4000 $ car work for you. NEEDS OVER WANTS PEOPLE.

From what I have heard, this 1% will not be added to groceries: "which excludes services, nonprepared food, prescription drugs".
The catch 22 here is if you boycott local establishments, then you punish yourself. If you don't continue to frequent Oak Forest restaurants for example, because of the additional $.20 you would have to pay on a $20.00 dinner, then you are helping that business go out of business, which doesn't help the situation any. Given gas prices, it actually cost more than 20 cents to go out of town and back. I think we all want the business' in Oak Forest to be able to sustain themselves, and hopefully make enough of a profit to spend a little more on facade repair, beautification, at least that's what I've been hearing anyway. A successful enough boycott of our business' might just lead to more shuttered storefronts, which is the last thing any of us want as far as I can tell.
I have heard a lot of things in this thread however that I have not heard before, in regards to other ways the city could be saving money. Patch, is there any way a section, or a thread could be set up where people could post their suggestions for ways the city could reduce it's budget? That might be a nice place to hash out ideas so we can gather around some solutions and hopefully get the best ones enacted....

Great idea, Darryl! I'll put something together for tomorrow! Hopefully you'll be one of the first to post?

I agree Darryl but my concern is that the residents haven't spent the time to look closely at the budget and try to understand it and therefore make helpful suggestions. I think the time for that is during the required public hearings on the budget or during Finance Committee meetings leading up to the budget. Couldn't hurt to throw a thread out there but I think I know the type of comments we'll get. Maybe it's just the pessimistic side of me though

I will start it off.
1. Renegotiate the city workers contracts

2. Investigate privatizing some of the city services, that would save money on benefits for worker as they would be passed on to the private business.

3. Keep city vehicles longer, I drive a 13 yr old vehicle.

4. Make the city more business friendly, it will bring more business and citizens into the city and increase the tax base without having to increase taxes. Always increase the participation level before increasing the taxes from a limited participation base.

I think these should be investigated. They may not all be feasible, but it is a start.

When is the mayors term up?

Stop spending money u don't have. Save for it. Dave Ramsey.

Don't forget: City Council will be voting on this tonight, 8 p.m. at City Hall (15440 S. Central). We'll have live updates after the meeting, with notes on who voted which way. Stay tuned to Patch!

Do we have an update yet?

Ahhh, I went to the wrong place for the update. Unbelievable!! It is obvious they do not read The Patch or listen to the citizens of OF

I will check back and I posted on the FB page

Rich give it a break with dave ramsey