For Third Year, City Council Approves Nearly 5 Percent Tax Levy Increase

Oak Forest homeowners can expect roughly a $41 increase in real estate taxes in the coming year, after  approved a nearly 5 percent increase in the tax levy on Dec. 13.

Finance Director Colleen Julian explained that the tax levy is more than a $370,000 increase from last year, but is nowhere near the increase cap of $1.1 million or 15 percent that officials decided to put on real estate taxes.

After six discussions, the levy approval did not come without dispute.

Ald. Daniel Ensing (5th Ward) said he regretted he could not make the first of six meetings about the tax levy, but did not agree with the increase, stating that residents’ taxes are going up but the city is not providing more services.

He disagreed with Julian and other aldermen when they said they would have to figure out more ways to save money when figuring the city’s budget.

“Let’s cut things now. Don’t wait until the budget because we’re not going to give the savings back to the residents,” Ensing said. “We’ll find somewhere else for that money to go.”

The city currently only has 111 employees, Julian said, but with six openings. Not filling the positions could save money, but Julian said that was a choice Mayor Kuspa and the aldermen could make in the future.

“Do we shrink the organization or find alternative revenue?” Julian asked the city council.

All aldermen agreed the city has dramatically cut expenses, but with the state providing less money, services are harder to sustain without a tax increase.

Ald. Richard Simon congratulated Julian on her hard work and efforts, but said he would not vote in favor of the increase.

Despite Ensing’s and Simon’s dissenting votes, the tax levy was approved.

The levy comes which included instituting furlough days for city employees, and later budget cuts across the board in city administration.