Westmont board adopts 1% local grocery tax to preserve roughly $1 million in annual revenue

The Westmont Village Board voted unanimously Feb. 20 to adopt a local 1% grocery tax on food for home consumption, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Finance Director Alta told the board the measure preserves an existing revenue stream after a change at the state level altered the authority by which the tax could be distributed. "An ordinance to approve a local, 1% grocery tax to go into effect starting on 01/01/2026, so 10 ish months from now," Alta said during the presentation. Alta told the board the tax brings in approximately $1 million a year to the village.

The board adopted the ordinance by roll call vote after a brief presentation. Trustee Barker moved to approve the ordinance and Trustee Nero seconded. In the roll call recorded on the transcript, Trustees Barker, Nero, Berry, Guzzo, Little and Scales each voted yes and the motion passed.

Alta said the change is not a rate increase and should be invisible to consumers: "It's not it's not an increase. Yep. So consumers will see no change whatsoever." Alta explained that the state had previously directed distribution of the tax and that recent changes required municipalities that want to continue receiving those dollars to adopt a local authorization.

The board took no other action on revenue use during the meeting. The ordinance will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, per the text read into the record.

The vote follows routine board procedure with no recorded public comment specific to the grocery tax at the Feb. 20 meeting. The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote.