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Residents urge board to reconsider grocery tax and spotlight parking problems on Arlington Heights Road
Summary
Public comments at the Aug. 18 meeting included calls to eliminate the grocery tax to ease costs for vulnerable households and local complaints about persistent parking congestion on Arlington Heights Road and at the town Jewel store.
During the public‑comment portion of the Aug. 18 meeting, several residents urged trustees to reconsider the grocery-tax retention and raised local parking and loading issues along Arlington Heights Road.
Keith Moons told the board residents should not assume tax certainty for large incoming businesses and warned that long-term tax incentives can shift risk to local taxpayers. He urged trustees to weigh the distribution of tax risk when negotiating with out‑of‑town developers. Later in the public‑comment period, a resident who identified himself as Robert said that cars regularly block Arlington Heights Road while drivers walk to nearby stores; he asked the village to consider enforcement, signage or painted curb markings to discourage long‑term parking and improve turnover for customers and deliveries. Robert also said he sees many cars parked at the downtown Jewel that are not store customers and asked staff to explore options to improve parking availability for shoppers.
A member of the audience, Melissa Kayer, asked whether nonprofit organizations are exempt from sales tax; trustees and staff responded that nonprofits acting as purchasers can use sales‑tax exemptions but sellers at retail remain required to collect when the transaction is taxable.
No formal board action was initiated directly from these comments; staff suggested follow-up with the village manager and public works for specific curb/parking enforcement options and said they would reach out to the resident who asked about parking.
