The Village of Forest Park has been facing financial issues for years, and its latest efforts to address that problem have conjured tension, not just between residents and the village, but between elected commissioners themselves.
At a July 8 Special Budget Meeting, designed for the village to gain headway on discussing new revenue sources, no real progress was made on how the village can have a sizeable impact on fixing the budget and reducing debt levels.
In fiscal year 2026, the village incurred a $1.8 million deficit and projects a fiscal year 2027 budget deficit of $5.5 million, Village Administrator Rachell Entler said at the budget meeting.
There will be a 9% increase in legal costs, a 5% increase in IT expenses, a 20% increase in health insurance, a $500,000 increase in operating expenses and a loss of $52,000 a year over a water tower lease termination, according to Entler.
Anticipated needs and expenses that might come up this fiscal year are police and fire pensions, a new fire engine, lead service line replacements and possibly a new water reservoir, Entler said at the budget meeting.
“We are here today to talk about revenue, but I want to make it clear that, as we went through the budget, we also looked at every which way we could possibly save some dollars,” Entler said.
The village has already implemented a Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT) – a program that allows public and non-profit EMS providers to receive additional reimbursement for Medicaid patients, saving an estimated $50,000 a year by offsetting the gap between service costs and standard Medicaid reimbursements. The village has also opted to skip Groov’n in the Grove this year to save $10,000 and encourages the community to bag compost and mulch rather than using a leaf pick-up service, saving $4,500, according to Entler.
“What this does is it takes the strain off the general fund, for sure,” Entler said. “However, it’s reflected in this year’s budget we still are going to experience a pretty sizable deficit, but again, the goal is to return operating expenses to the general fund when available.”
Places of Eating Tax
The revenue source most talked about during the meeting was the places of eating tax, a 1-to-2% tax charged at establishments in Forest Park where prepared food is sold and seating is provided.
Commissioner Maria Maxham has been a big proponent of the places of eating tax. She urged the council to reconsider looking into it after their audit in February and vocalized her support in the last budget meeting.
Both Mayor Rory Hoskins and Commissioner Michelle Melin-Rogovin expressed their dislike of this specific revenue source, suggesting the council needs to meet with business owners before making any decisions.
“The places of eating tax, that could actually bring in money at a million dollars a year, which would be a significant amount,” Maxham said. “We have a known and real source of income, probably the biggest and only real thing we can act on now, sitting right here, and nobody wants to support it.”
Both of the public commenters attending the meeting voiced their concerns about the tax: Fatduck Tavern & Grill owner Dennis Miller and O’Sullivan’s Public House General Manager Anthony Crawford.
With the resumed fighting between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, prices of food and gas continue to increase, putting more and more financial strain on restaurant owners, Miller said, pressuring them to offset the costs by raising their prices. Incorporating the places of eating tax will further increase prices, he added, driving business away.
“People are so self-conscious about pricing,” Miller said. “Everyone seems to complain every time (they) go out to dinner how expensive things are, and this added 2% would hurt business.”
Commissioner Ryan Nero, who supports the places of eating tax, suggested helping businesses offset the burden of increasing prices by loosening up on licenses and fees as well as later business hours.
Other potential revenue sources
This meeting was designated for the village to come up with additional ideas for added revenue sources, but almost no progress was made besides a new understanding of where commissioners stand on the places of eating tax and potential headway on an offer for the land previously owned by the Altenheim.
A few ideas for potential revenue sources were floated and tabled for another time.
During his public comment, Crawford brought up parking permits as a potential revenue source to replace the places of eating tax. Village officials found it to be a good proposition to look into and pursue.
Maxham said the Traffic and Safety Commission has previously recommended there be passes for on-street parking and overnight parking. It has become an increasingly common practice within many of the west suburban municipalities, she added.
“It’s about time that we have a serious look at overnight parking, and maybe selling permits to allow for overnight parking,” Hoskins said.
At another point, Melin-Rogovin suggested that, instead of going through with the places of eating tax, the village should entertain a streaming and amusement tax.
“Riverside just implemented this. The estimates for what it’s going to mean to them are not yet known, but I’m told that’s something that we can implement here,” she said.
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.