Palos Park council authorizes creation of ordinances to raise local sales tax and end vehicle-sticker program

The Palos Park Village Council on Monday, April 14, 2025, voted to authorize creation of two ordinances: one to increase the village's non-home-rule local sales tax by 0.5 percentage point and a second to repeal the village's vehicle licensing (vehicle sticker) requirement.

The council's action directs staff to prepare ordinances consistent with Public Act 103-0781 and the Illinois Municipal Code provision cited by the council (65 ILCS 5/8-11). Under the timetable noted in the discussion, ordinances submitted to the Illinois Department of Revenue between April 1 and Oct. 1 would be scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Why it matters: the village currently levies a 0.5 percentage point local sales tax that the council said generates roughly $350,000 a year. Council materials presented at the meeting estimated the additional half-point would yield about $116,667 for the four months remaining in the 2026 fiscal year if enacted on the Jan. 1 effective date. Council members and staff also discussed revenue from the village's vehicle-sticker program, which the materials estimated at about $75,375 for 2025 and showed a multiyear decline in sticker revenue.

Details of the council action and related votes:

- Motion authorized: create ordinance to increase the non-home-rule local sales tax by 0.5 percentage point and create ordinance to repeal Chapter 4-62 (licensing of motor vehicles). The council approved the motion on a roll-call vote; roll-call responses recorded in the minutes for that vote included "Yes" from Commissioner Paul, Commissioner Waite, Commissioner Tabb and the mayor.

- Next steps: staff will draft ordinances for formal introduction and, if adopted, submit the certified ordinance to the Illinois Department of Revenue per the statutory process described during the meeting.

Votes at a glance (other formal actions reported or approved at the April 14 meeting):

- Appointments to the Palos Park Library Board of Trustees: John Fryer (term to expire 06/01/2026) and Reem Poteau (term beginning 06/01/2025 and expiring 06/01/2029). Outcome: approved as part of the appointments section.

- Consent-agenda items (approved): - Annual renewal contract with CivicPlus for website hosting/support and a 48-month website redesign in the amount of $6,530.35. - Ordinance 2025-05 amending municipal commuter parking fees (set at $1.50 daily and $30 monthly). - Payment of invoices on the warrant list dated 04/14/2025 in the amount of $169,640.21. - Supplemental warrant list dated 04/14/2025 (manual checks, payroll, recurring wire transfers) in the amount of $1,032,862.62.

- Public works contracts and payments (approved): - Award of the 123rd Street water-main relocation project to Ares Construction Incorporated in the amount of $589,132. The council approved award after staff noted IDOT is reconstructing two box culverts that will close 123rd Street for approximately six months and that relocation of the village water main is required in conjunction with IDOT permitting. - Partial payment request No. 4 for the McCarthy Road water transmission main project: payment to Steve's Construction in the amount of $206,566.85. The full contract amount stated in council materials was $1,876,684.80; funding sources identified included the water fund, $644,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and an Illinois EPA loan.

- Planning and building matters (approved or advanced): - Ordinance 2025-06: transfer duties of the Historic Preservation Commission to the Plan Commission and relieve existing Historic Preservation Commission appointees of those appointments; motion approved. - Adoption direction: staff was authorized to proceed with an update adopting the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) with the local amendments identified by consultant HR Green; village attorney was directed to prepare the necessary ordinance.

- Public safety (approved): - Ordinance 2025-07: amendment raising the administrative towing fee charged by the Palos Park Police Department from $300 to $500; the council approved the ordinance. The council and staff noted the administrative fee is separate from private-tow and storage charges that vehicle owners must also pay. - The police department reported activity statistics for March 31'April 13 (1,901 calls for service, 87 traffic stops and the other figures reported in the department report) and noted targeted distracted-driving enforcement and recognition from Lexipol for policy management.

- Other council actions: - The council voted to continue the agenda item on replacement of village building roofs and gutters until the April 28, 2025, meeting to allow time for review of cost modifications. - The proposed fiscal year 2026 budget (FY26, May 1, 2025 ' April 30, 2026) was placed on file for public inspection and a public hearing on the FY26 budget was scheduled for the council meeting on April 28, 2025. Materials presented highlighted more than $1,000,000 in water and sanitary sewer improvements, about $1,060,000 in street work, body-worn camera software and storage fees of $25,200, the planned purchase of two squad cars and equipment (amounts summarized by staff), and equipment purchases including a roadside mower and a replacement pickup truck.

What the council did not finalize Monday: the action taken was to authorize drafting of the sales-tax and vehicle-sticker ordinances; final adoption of any tax change or repeal requires subsequent ordinance introduction and formal adoption and, where applicable, submission to the Illinois Department of Revenue. The village clerk and finance director will present drafted ordinances and the council will consider them at a future meeting, as required by local procedure.

Meeting context and next steps: the council's authorization advances staff work to produce draft ordinances for the sales tax change and the vehicle-license repeal. If the draft ordinances are introduced and adopted at later meetings, the council's stated timeline would make an additional sales-tax rate effective Jan. 1, 2026, if submitted to IDOR during the prescribed window. The FY26 budget public hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2025, when the council is expected to take final budget action.