Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Taxation Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
University Park trustees decline 1% grocery tax; staff cite larger yield from home‑rule option
Summary
Trustees did not advance a proposed 1% municipal grocery tax after finance staff and trustees said a modest home‑rule tax increase would yield more revenue; the budget ordinance had its first reading and bills were approved.
UNIVERSITY PARK — The Village of University Park board debated a proposed 1% municipal grocery (retailers occupation) tax but did not move it forward after trustees and staff discussed alternatives and revenue estimates.
Trustee Fulcher (appearing in the record as a trustee who researched the matter at the Illinois Municipal League) recommended against the grocery tax and instead suggested increasing the village’s home‑rule tax rate from 1.0% to 1.25% to capture a broader base of transactions. Finance staff member Chris told the board the village’s home‑rule tax receipts for fiscal year 2025 totaled $1,359,990.73; local grocery and use‑tax related receipts together were discussed at roughly $200,000 for the same period, with a standalone grocery estimate cited in the meeting near $36,000 for a fiscal year.
A trustee noted changing state law now directs some use‑tax distributions to the place of delivery rather than by population, and staff said statewide local use tax revenue has fallen about 70% under the new calculation; that made projections more uncertain. A resident attendee estimated the home‑rule increase could generate roughly $303,100 in additional revenue compared with the grocery tax figures discussed in the meeting.
When the board called for a motion on the 1% grocery tax ordinance (F-2G), a motion was made but it failed for lack of a second; the chair said the item would be revisited in October, with options to reconsider a grocery tax or a home‑rule adjustment.
Separately, the board held a first reading of the 2025–26 budget ordinance (ordinance 2025-13) and voted to approve payment of the listed bills and fund totals; the clerk read fund totals into the record, with a grand total of $1,000,333.06 for the presented payables.
