On December 9, the Oak Forest City Council approved the 2025 tax levy of $12,905,393, resulting in an increase of $606,150 or 4.9% from last year. As a result, a homeowner will see an estimated annual property tax increase of $71 on the city’s portion of the real estate tax bill.
The tax levy calculation requires an increase of $864,000 in property taxes due to fiscal year 2027 operating expenses, capital projects, and authorized full-time personnel. Realizing that many residents and business owners are struggling from increased energy, food, insurance, and interest costs, the city is using $250,000 of general fund reserves to close the gap. Utilizing reserves is a short-term strategy to minimize the tax levy this year. Even with the withdrawal from the reserves, the city meets its fund balance policy.
The following table and chart illustrate the total amount of tax owed by a resident and how that money is distributed between local government bodies. In this example, school districts receive 67% of property taxes, while the city's portion of the tax bill is just under 15%.
