Park Forest annexation leaves Will County homeowners fearing tax hikes

The Village of Park Forest is pushing to annex properties in unincorporated Will County.

The Details

Homeowners in unincorporated Will County are fighting the Village of Park Forest's effort to annex their properties, warning their property tax bills could nearly double.

Village leaders say the move is about fairness, arguing Park Forest taxpayers have spent decades maintaining roads and water infrastructure that also benefits those properties.

The debate comes as Cook County Treasurer data shows Park Forest has one of the county's lowest property tax collection rates and its highest composite property tax rate.

PARK FOREST, Ill. — The Village of Park Forest is pushing to annex properties in unincorporated Will County.

Village Manager Jon Kindseth said the village has been subsidizing communities outside village limits for decades and that it’s time those residents shared the cost.

Some residents told FOX Chicago the village never asked them if they wanted to be annexed. They also fear they could be priced out of their homes.

Park Forest moves to annex 25 parcels

What we know

Larry McClellan has lived in his home in unincorporated Will County for 25 years. He says he chose the neighborhood because he wanted to live outside a municipality.

Now, he’s among the homeowners fighting an effort by the Village of Park Forest to annex properties in the area — a move residents fear could dramatically increase their property tax bills.

"They just forced the annexation of this area," McClellan said.

McClellan walked FOX Chicago through a map showing the neighborhood and the properties he says are now being targeted.

"So our street is right here," he said, pointing out Oak Hill Drive.

He says residents were caught off guard by the proposal.

"None of us knew about this until two weeks ago," McClellan said.

He also believes his neighborhood is part of a larger effort to expand Park Forest’s boundaries.

"And we're kind of the third thing that's being forced," he said.

At its Nov. 2 meeting, the Park Forest Village Board approved two annexation ordinances involving 25 parcels in unincorporated Will County.

One covers 22 parcels in the Park Forest Estate subdivision along Hawthorne and Spruce avenues. The other covers three parcels along Monee Road, just south of Thorn Creek Nature Center.

Village says annexation would spread infrastructure costs

The other side

Kindseth told trustees the annexation effort is about fairness and sharing the cost of infrastructure.

Decades ago, he said, Park Forest extended water lines nearly a mile down Monee Road to serve two unincorporated subdivisions. The village also built sanitary sewer capacity to serve those properties and has maintained the infrastructure.

Kindseth said the water main along Monee Road is undersized and slowly failing, with increasing water loss. The village estimates replacing it will cost about $500,000 and plans to do the work in 2027 or 2028.

"How do we justify to our taxpayers that the village has subsidized services to these unincorporated areas for decades?" Kindseth asked trustees.

He also pointed to Stuenkel Road, saying the village paid to resurface its portion in 2021 even though the properties along that stretch are outside Park Forest.

"The village is not annexing these properties as a money grab," Kindseth told the board. "We are annexing these properties to help offset the tax burden of our existing property owners."

The village argues that adding the properties to its tax base could help distribute infrastructure costs and potentially ease the tax burden on existing Park Forest homeowners.

Park Forest’s property tax challenges

Dig deeper

The annexation debate comes as Park Forest faces a broader property tax challenge.

A Cook County Treasurer’s Office analysis found Park Forest had collected 83% of the property taxes billed for tax year 2021 as of Jan. 25, 2023. That placed the village among the 15 municipalities with the lowest collection rates in Cook County. The countywide collection rate at that point was 96%.

The treasurer’s office also found Park Forest had the highest composite property tax rate in Cook County for tax year 2021, at 41.6% of assessed value.

The report found a correlation between higher shares of vacant lots and lower property tax collection rates. It warned that lower collections could put pressure on local governments to seek higher property tax levies, which could lead to higher tax rates and add to the burden on property owners.

The potential effect of these annexations on existing homeowners’ tax bills remains unclear.

Residents question what services they would receive

What they're saying

Homeowners opposing annexation also question what additional services they would receive. Some say they rely on private wells and septic systems and that those arrangements would continue if their properties become part of Park Forest.

"I have well water and septic. They don't provide any service. They don't plow my road. They don't do nothing for me," said Matthew Gross.

Erica Lese, who lives in unincorporated Will County with her son, August Fox, also says she has a private well and septic system. She questions why she would have to pay toward water infrastructure she says she doesn’t use.

"And we would have to pay for other people's water usage, and that doesn't seem fair," Lese said. "Other people in Park Forest — and we don't even have water."

FOX Chicago asked whether that meant residents would be paying into something they couldn’t use.

"I can't even use, if they annex us," Lese responded.

August Fox said, "Park Forest is robbing Peter to pay Paul."

The village has pointed to benefits such as access to its library and pool. Christopher Murray, another unincorporated Will County resident, questioned whether those benefits justify the additional expense.

"The only advantage that I could even see potentially is a library card, so it's an $8,000-a-year library card," Murray said.

Homeowners fear being priced out

Local perspective

McClellan showed FOX Chicago his property tax figures and said he believes annexation could take his annual bill from roughly $8,000 to $16,000.

Asked whether he had to do a double take when he saw the potential increase, he said, "Oh my God."

Gross said if his taxes double, he doesn’t see the point of being annexed.

Murray said his family lost a home through eminent domain about 20 years ago. Now, he fears another fight over his property.

Asked what would happen if his taxes doubled, Murray said much of his money is tied up in his home’s equity.

"You double the taxes, my property value goes down incredibly," Murray said. "I will get out and I will be leaving Illinois."

Residents say they deliberately chose the area for its rural setting and independence. They fear higher taxes could force some families to leave.

Board approves annexation despite objections

At the Nov. 2 meeting, Trustee Randall White urged the board to weigh the potential benefits to Park Forest against the financial impact on families whose properties would be annexed.

"I am saying that the benefits of the village must be weighed against the burdens that may be placed on families," White told the board.

He also questioned whether village officials had truly listened to residents, considered the financial impact and explored alternatives.

"I believe that before we move forward, we owe the families those opportunities and the public meaningful conversations," White said.

The board approved the ordinances despite those objections.

"This item is approved," the meeting chair announced.

Residents could be heard booing immediately afterward.

Residents continue to organize against annexation

What's next

Kindseth told property owners they retain the right to challenge the annexation if they believe the required legal process was not followed.