patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Alderman Rich Simon

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Residents Will Have to Pay More in Real Estate Taxes

Aldermen were split 4-to-2 in the vote to approve the levy, which raises real estate taxes for Oak Forest residents by about $27. The levy includes a $500,000 payment into the city's reserve fund, with a goal of reaching $3.5 million in reserves by 20

Oak Forest residents will have to shell out more of their hard-earned cash in taxes, after aldermen approved the 2012 tax levy. Residents in Oak Forest will pay about an additional $27 to the city in real estate tax due to the levy. The levy, which totals $8 million, is 3.08 percent—or $240,031—higher than last year's levy, said city Finance Director Colleen Julian. The city arrived at that number after several meetings and by taking into account factors such as a deficiency in the general fund balance, city employee wages and other issues. “The 3 percent presented today will sustain the 117 full-time employees that are currently in the budget,” Julian said. “It has a $500,000 surplus that is intended to go into reserves, to build our …

joe orb

6:45 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013

how can a public works employee make that much,there al,l way overpaid ...pretty sad thats the thanks the residents get i too will leave this city life with nothing to do here anyway.   more ›

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Tattoo Shop, Art Studio Eager to Turn on Needles in New Oak Forest Shop

Peace of Art, an art studio and tattoo owned by Oak Forest Resident Rich Kocis, was approved for a move from Chicago Heights to Oak Forest. The new shop hopes to open in January.

Oak Forest residents looking for artwork, both for their walls and their body, could have a new shop to frequent in the coming months, thanks to the Oak Forest city council. At its Dec. 18 meeting, the city council approved a text amendment and special use permit for Peace of Art, an art studio and tattoo shop currently located in Chicago Heights, for a new location at 15337 S. Cicero Av. City council members debated the potential business for roughly 15 minutes, discussing if the shop would be a good addition to the Cicero corridor, which already has two other tattoo shops. "I'm not at all happy with another tattoo parlor," Alderman Rich Simon said. "But, I do believe in the free enterprise system and I will support it." Aldermen were …

nick

3:27 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Rich is a GREAT guy & GREAT tattoo artist. Good luck with the new location & see you soon...Nick F.   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?