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Burr Ridge board directs staff to prepare $300,000 Brookhaven reimbursement; 2nd $300,000 conditional on future grocery tax
Summary
The board approved a two-part Economic Development Committee recommendation to provide Brookhaven Market $300,000 from business-district funds now and to make another $300,000 contingent on adopting a 1% grocery tax later; trustees split on whether to implement a grocery tax now, and the board voted 5–0 to direct staff to prepare the resolution.
Trustees on Oct. 13 directed staff to prepare a resolution to implement the Economic Development Committee’s two-part recommendation for Brookhaven Market at County Line Square: an immediate $300,000 reimbursement from the downtown business-district fund and a second $300,000 conditioned on the village later adopting a 1% grocery-sales tax.
Evan (staff) told the board Brookhaven requested $671,564 to partially offset roughly $1.3 million of interior improvements. The EDC recommended $300,000 up front and an additional $300,000 if the village implements a 1% grocery tax; staff said both sums would be paid from the business-district fund, which has a fund balance the board estimated near $3 million.
Trustee Scapa (EDC member) said the committee’s unanimous 6–0 recommendation recognized substantial store improvements and supported a $300,000 immediate payment but opposed reinstating a grocery tax. Trustee Smith, who also served on the EDC, favored both pieces and said the additional $300,000 would likely be recouped by tax revenue in about three years; Smith noted the village needs revenue for obligations including the rising police pension contribution. Trustee Mittal said he supported the immediate $300,000 reimbursement but preferred not to add a grocery tax now, citing inflationary pressures for residents.
Representatives for Brookhaven Market, including John Manos and Jim Olguin, described significant investment in store renovations and asked the board not to foreclose the option of returning for the conditional $300,000 if a grocery tax is adopted later.
The board did not adopt a grocery tax that night and will address any decision about a grocery-sales tax during the budget process; the board voted unanimously (5–0) to direct staff to prepare a resolution reflecting the EDC recommendation and to return a detailed resolution at a later meeting.
