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Council sets special order to consider local grocery tax after state repeal; staff warned of tight October deadline
Summary
City staff told the Evanston City Council on Aug. 25 that Illinois Public Act 103‑0781 eliminates the state grocery tax on Jan. 1, 2026 but allows municipalities to adopt a 1% local replacement; the council voted to place a special order of business on Sept. 8 to consider an ordinance.
City staff presented options Aug. 25 for replacing a state grocery tax that will be eliminated effective Jan. 1, 2026 under Public Act 103‑0781, and the council voted to add a special order of business on Sept. 8 to consider a local grocery tax ordinance. Finance staff said the city currently collects about $2.5 million annually from the grocery tax and that the Illinois Department of Revenue requires a community to adopt a 1% local tax (or 0%) and to submit certified ordinances by Oct. 1 to enable collection by the state.
Why it matters: Adopting a local grocery tax would largely preserve current revenue for the general fund. Staff said the tax’s burden is split…
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