Forest Park has operated from some level of financial distress for decades. It has become standard operating procedure in village government. A sort of “we’re basically broke” philosophy has been part of the DNA.

It resulted in largely ignoring the serious aging of the town’s infrastructure and pay inequities on the staff – not to mention little investment in potential economic development, a divisive fight over video gaming, substandard municipal buildings, a dearth of innovation at village hall and a badly underfunded pension plan.

Things may be starting to change, though. The village council just passed a new budget that trims deficit spending a bit. That’s good. Plans in the work to hike a range of fees that have been inexplicably stagnant for years, the village is exploring – and should act quickly to implement – a so-called places-of-eating tax. With all the restaurants and bars in town, this new tax could raise $500,000 to $1 million annually. And it is one of the few added taxes the state allows non-home rule towns to create.

There are also some revenue pluses coming down the line. Forest Park is lucky to have an Aldi coming to Harlem. The car dealership at Roosevelt and Des Plaines is close to expanding. And there will be two pot dispensaries open soon and generating money for the village.

The budget process this year under Rachell Entler, the still-new village administrator, also had a new tone this time around. She called for an end to “doom-and-gloom” budgeting and challenged both her staff and the village council to think creatively and to take some chances.

We’d suggest three things at the top:

While it had to be mentioned as a possible revenue source, don’t attempt to bring back video gaming. It is not the look you want for a town that aspires to be a dining destination to have gambling machines off in a dank corner. And it is still too divisive.

Finally decide the future of the Altenheim property owned by the village. If the decision is a short-sighted and backward plan to sell off a good chunk for development, then at least get it over with and start planning how to maximize the revenue.

It is time to once again discuss a referendum to bring home rule to Forest Park. Yes, it went down in flames 20 years ago. But this is a new day, with many new residents and a good case to be made that the village can be responsible stewards of the greater taxing options it would bring.

Forest Park needs the ability to get its finances right. This is the moment to make a genuine plan.