Villa Park board advances amended liquor‑license fee schedule after public outcry

The Village of Villa Park Board of Trustees voted on Oct. 13 to approve an amended schedule of liquor‑license fees recommended by the local Liquor Control Commission and to waive the ordinance's first reading so renewal letters can be issued to licensees. The discussion followed a lengthy public‑comment period in which several local business owners warned that proposed fee increases — in some cases several times a license’s current cost — would harm small operations.

Why it matters: The fees affect restaurants, bars and other licensees that contribute local sales, food‑and‑beverage and license revenue to the village. Business owners at the meeting said steep, rapid increases could force closures and reduce commercial diversity in Villa Park. The Liquor Control Commission and trustees said the changes aim to codify missed Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases dating to 2019 and to create a differential between licenses that include video gaming and those that do not.

Public concerns and business perspective Christine Murphy of 523 S. Yale Ave. said she opposed an across‑the‑board jump to later trick‑or‑treat hours and raised questions about ordinance 10A, the proposed liquor fee changes. "I have limited basis for making this decision tonight," Murphy said, and asked the board to defer action until license holders and residents could be consulted.

Several business owners said they had not received direct notice and described the proposal as abrupt. Debbie Demito, who gave her business address as S. Euclid Ave., said the increase would "really put a squeeze on us" given recent increases in food and beverage costs and the village’s food‑and‑beverage tax. John Divergian, owner of the Captain’s Room, described startup and COVID impacts that still affect many small firms and urged the board to document and justify the increases.

Commission and legal clarifications Village Attorney Morton told the board there were two corrections to the draft ordinance: a numerical fix for a Quad‑A license amount and a codification of a CPI‑linked annual increase that was approved in 2019 but not implemented. The ordinance on first reading would amend Section 3‑3‑316 of the Villa Park Municipal Code to increase certain fees and to add the yearly CPI adjustment into the municipal code so future increases are tracked.

Commissioner Joey DeTomaso, representing the local Liquor Control Commission, described the commission’s process: the panel met several times over two months, calculated what the 2019 CPI escalation would have produced (about a 25% increase over current rates) and then recommended a structure that also differentiates gaming and non‑gaming licenses because enforcement and verification for gaming can impose additional village costs. He said the commission debated multiple options before settling on the recommendation now before the board.

Board debate and amendments Trustees discussed alternatives. Trustee Kozar proposed an amendment that would triple renewal fees for specified license classes that allow gaming while leaving non‑gaming Quad‑A and Quad‑E license fees unchanged; the amendment also would let businesses that do not use gaming transfer to a non‑gaming license at the lower fee. Trustee Kumar and others said a multi‑year phase‑in or smaller increases would better protect small businesses and noted that neighboring municipalities have taken different approaches.

Outcome and next steps The board passed the amended motion to adopt the fee schedule recommendation (as amended from the commission's original packet) and then voted to waive the ordinance’s first reading so that renewal letters can be mailed in time for the January license period. The Liquor Control Commission and village staff said renewal notices will advise licensees they may change to a non‑gaming license if appropriate; staff will also send details about the new fees and the timing for implementation.

What remains unclear Trustees said the fee schedule was a starting point and that the commission will continue annual reviews. Some trustees and business speakers urged a phased approach and additional outreach. Specific implementation dates and the full line‑by‑line fee table to be mailed in renewal packages were described as part of the forthcoming renewal letters.

Ending: The vote moves the updated fee structure from recommendation to ordinance process with a waiver of the first reading; licensees should expect formal renewal notices from the Village of Villa Park before the January renewal period.