Forest Park residents might see their property taxes increase in the new year.
The tax levy for the 2025 fiscal year – which is May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025 – was approved at the last village council meeting Dec. 16 with a 5% increase from the year before. The levy is the amount the village is looking to raise through property taxes.
If Cook County officials approve the levy next summer, only then would property taxes increase next year – and even then, likely not by the full 5%.
“We’ll be lucky if that’s the number the county gives us,” said Village Administrator Rachell Entler. “We have to put in a request to the county for a certain percentage. We rarely, if ever, get the percentage that we request.”
As a non-home rule municipality, Forest Park is subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, which caps the overall tax levy increase at 5% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is smaller. Cook County will establish the actual tax levy rate, likely reducing the proposed 5% levy based on how the county values properties.
If Cook County approves the full 5% increase, the village would collect $7.4 million, and the library would get $2.4 million. The village passed the levy for both the village and the Forest Park Public Library, since the library is under the village’s authority.
The total $9.8 million proposed to be collected in property taxes for the 2025 fiscal year is up from $9.3 million garnered in 2023.
Although Commissioners Rory Hoskins, Maria Maxham, Michelle Melin-Rogovin and Jessica Voogd voted to send the 5% property tax increase to the county, Commissioner Ryan Nero voted against it – the first time he’s done so in six years.
“I do not think this is a tax levy problem,” Nero said. “I think this is a tax appropriation problem.”
Of the property taxes that the village of Forest Park collects under the levy, about 74% of property taxes go toward the village’s schools, park district, and library. Schools get 62% of that, the park district about 7%, and the library 5%. The village receives under 14% of collected property taxes.
Nero implied that the school district should get a smaller piece of the pie.
“I’m not going to sit up here and sling mud,” he said. “You can Google District 209 and tell me what you think.”
Nero also agreed with a resident who spoke during public comment at a hearing for the levy hike ahead of the village council meeting on Dec. 16. Nero emphasized that there must be other avenues, like the tax revenue for a handful of new businesses in town, to increase money for the village of Forest Park.
“I believe that you guys can do other things besides raise taxes to manage the budgets,” said Forest Parker Dan Bjornson during the public hearing. “Don’t raise my taxes.”
Another villager pleaded the same.
“Each year, you are provided the opportunity to offer some fiscal relief to residents by opting not to increase the property tax levy,” resident Christopher Harris said in a comment he emailed to village staff. “I ask you to side with struggling residents who are constantly bombarded with an increased cost of living and vote no for the levy increase.”
Other commissioners said that they identify with these complaints and agreed with Nero that there’s a tax appropriation problem. But they still voted to pass the property tax increase.
“I agree with my colleague’s math. I don’t agree with my colleague’s conclusion,” Melin-Rogovin said. “I’m crunched as well, but my vote is representing Forest Park’s participation in this process, not the school district, not other entities.”
Melin-Rogovin added that, just as the village was voting to pass the tax increase, boards for the school district and park district are also assessing their portion of taxes on the village’s property tax bill.
Melin-Rogovin encouraged residents to talk to these bodies if they were concerned about the amount of property taxes appropriated to them. She also said the public can reach out to her if a property owner needs help contacting the Cook County Assessor’s Office or with learning how to lower property taxes.
Maxham agreed about voting to represent the village’s portion of local property taxes.
“I am confident that the village’s share, however small it is, is being used wisely and is necessary for us to operate the village, fund our pensions as well as we can,” Maxham said. She added that she’d be interested in future discussions about how the tax is appropriated among local entities.
Maxham said, “I do think there could be a lot of room for changes.”
Correction, Dec. 19 at 9:45 a.m.: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated the amount the village would receive under the approved levy. The village would get $7.4 million, and the library would get $2.4 million. We regret the error.
