Sycamore’s top employee said he believes the average price of gas in Sycamore is more expensive than at DeKalb gas stations, despite having a lower motor fuel tax than the neighboring city.

Sycamore City Manager Michael Hall told the Sycamore City Council on Monday that, by his estimate, the average price of gas in Sycamore is two cents more than the average price in DeKalb. Hall said he looked at prices on Gas Buddy over the last month to create his analysis of the price of gas inside DeKalb County’s two largest cities.

Considering the city of DeKalb has a nine and a half cents per gallon tax on gas, Hall said he thinks the price of gasoline in Sycamore is being driven by market forces more than it is by the city’s motor fuel tax.

“My question is, ‘What happens to that seven and a half cents difference in taxes?’ I don’t know, I guess they [gas station owners] keep it,” Hall said. “That’s the only thing I could think of. I’m not sure what’s happening there, why there’s a discrepancy.”

The average price of gas in DeKalb County on Monday was between $3.12 and $3.16, according to Hall’s presentation to city officials.

Fourth Ward Alderman David Stouffer said he’s curious to understand why Sycamore’s gas costs more despite having a significantly cheaper motor fuel tax.

During the Sycamore City Council meeting on Monday, 1st Ward Alderman Alan Bauer said he wondered if gas stations in the city of DeKalb were purchasing gasoline to sell to local consumers at a better price than the owners of Sycamore stations.

The City Council on Monday voted 6-2 to increase its motor fuel tax from two cents to five cents. Funds from that tax can only be used to pay for roadway maintenance, according to a provision in the ordinance.

Hall initially recommended the Council increase city gas tax by two cents. But the Council, at Bauer’s motion, chose a three-cent increase.

In calculations, Hall estimated a two-cent increase in the gas tax would generate $260,000 of additional revenue for local road maintenance and construction. A Shaw Local News Network analysis estimates that a three-cent increase could create $390,000 in new revenue for the city.

Those funds will be exclusively used to help the city maintain the 86.59 miles of roadway it’s responsible for. A pavement surface evaluation and rating of those roads in 2023 found that 40.1 miles of those roads were either in good or satisfactory conditions, according to city documents. Nearly 14 miles of roads were in poor condition, almost 10 miles were considered very poor and 4.6 miles were in serious condition. Hall said those numbers have since changed due to the city’s maintenance efforts and continued wear and tear.

Hall said he expects a new analysis to be completed in 2026.

He also said it’s cheaper to use funds for maintenance that extends a roadway’s life than it is to reconstruct a fully deteriorated road.

Second Ward Alderman Chuck Stowe said the city implemented the two cents per gallon motor fuel tax years ago, when the city “had a heck of a problem with maintenance.” He said he was supportive of an increase, but voted against Bauer’s proposal for a three-cent increase.

1st Ward Alderperson Alicia Cosky said she thinks Sycamore gas station owners shouldn’t make a larger profit than their DeKalb counterparts because Sycamore’s motor fuel tax is lower than DeKalb’s.

“I’m also concerned that our local gas station owners – not concerned, but they’ve been, I think, making out pretty good compared to DeKalb, given the tax situation," Cosky said. “I much rather would see that money go back into the pockets of the residents via road repair work than the gas station owners keeping it.”