Forest Park to retain grocery tax after state repeal, officials say residents won’t pay more

At its June 23 meeting the Village of Forest Park council adopted an ordinance to impose a municipal grocery retailer's occupation tax and a municipal grocery service occupation tax to replace revenue that will be lost when the state's grocery tax is discontinued on Jan. 1.

"This ordinance is not implementing an additional tax," Commissioner Melon Rogovin said during discussion, stressing that Forest Park is opting to retain the revenue currently collected at grocery checkouts by the state. "It is important for us to retain the revenue that the village is receiving from that tax."

The ordinance (O-34-25) was moved, seconded and approved with recorded Aye votes from Commissioner Maxim, Commissioner Melon Rogovin and Mayor Hoskins; two council seats did not register responses in the roll call recorded in the transcript. The clerk read the ordinance title and after brief confirmation that the change is intended to preserve existing revenue streams rather than add a new levy the council voted to adopt the measure.

Why it matters: local governments often rely on small sales and occupation taxes to fund municipal services. Council members characterized the ordinance as a revenue-retention step rather than a new cost to shoppers; the transcript records that residents "already experience" the charge at the grocery store and that the local rate will not change from what is currently collected by the state.

What happens next: the ordinance was filed as O-34-25; the council did not discuss implementation dates or administrative details beyond the statement that the state tax ends Jan. 1. The transcript does not specify whether the village will notify retailers or publish compliance guidance in advance of that date.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 084, topfinish SEG 123

Speakers quoted or referenced: Commissioner Melon Rogovin (Commissioner), Commissioner Maxim (Commissioner), Mayor Hoskins (Mayor).