Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Taxes Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Highwood council discusses reintroducing grocery occupation tax and a 0.25% sales-tax increase to fund water upgrades
Summary
At its Feb. 4 meeting the City of Highwood discussed two proposed ordinances: reauthorizing a grocery occupation tax after a state change, and a home-rule sales-tax increase of 0.25% to help fund about $10 million in water-plant and distribution improvements; no ordinance votes were taken.
City of Highwood officials discussed two proposed tax measures during the Feb. 4 City Council meeting: an occupation (grocery) tax tied to a change in state law, and a 0.25 percentage-point increase in the city\'s home-rule sales tax to generate revenue for water-system upgrades.
Council members discussed agenda item 12.1, described as consideration of an occupation (grocery) tax after a change in Illinois law. An unnamed council speaker said the state has removed the statewide grocery tax and allowed municipalities to reestablish a local occupation tax; the speaker said that if the city does not act, Highwood could lose about $66,000 a year. The council indicated it would likely put the grocery-tax ordinance on the agenda for a first reading at the council meeting in about two weeks (the council\'s third-Tuesday meeting), but no vote or ordinance adoption occurred at the Feb. 4 meeting.
Under agenda item 12.2, city staff member Scott described a proposed quarter-percent increase in the city\'s home-rule sales tax to fund water-plant improvements, removal of flood service lines and possible water-main projects. Scott said the city is roughly estimating $10,000,000 in capital costs for plant and distribution improvements. He explained the proposed tax change by example: a quarter-percent increase would raise a $100 purchase to approximately $100.25. Scott said the additional revenue would demonstrate a revenue source that could support bonds or loans for larger projects.
No ordinance votes or formal approvals were recorded in the meeting transcript. Council members asked questions and discussed timing; the council did not adopt either ordinance at the Feb. 4 meeting and did not record a formal motion to approve either measure.
This report is based on council discussion during the Feb. 4 meeting; the transcript records council statements and staff remarks but does not show formal votes on the described ordinances.
