Joliet City Council could vote on adopting local grocery tax next week

The Joliet City Council is expected to vote next week on a local 1% grocery tax.

The tax would replace the 1% state grocery tax that is ending Jan. 1. The state law eliminating the tax gives municipalities the option of replacing it with a local tax to maintain revenues that otherwise would go away.

Revenue from the state grocery tax goes to municipalities.

“It’s about $3.5 million of tax revenue for the city,” Joliet council member Larry Hug said Thursday. “I feel we should be looking at cuts. If the state got rid of it, we should leave it alone.”

Hug, a member of the council’s Finance Committee, said he has been advised that a vote on the local grocery tax will be on the council agenda for a vote on Tuesday.

The city as of Thursday had not posted the agendas for the pre-council meeting on Monday and the regular council meeting on Tuesday. The matter also would be up for discussion on Monday if on the agenda for a vote.

City Manager Beth Beatty and Mayor Terry D’Arcy did not return calls seeking comment on the grocery tax.

Cities and villages across Illinois have been making decisions on whether to replace the state grocery tax with a local tax.

As of the end of June, 256 municipalities had enacted local grocery taxes, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Regional communities that have enacted the local grocery tax include Plainfield, Shorewood, Minooka, Morris, Wilmington and Kankakee.

Municipalities that want to apply the 1% tax in 2026 must file local grocery tax ordinances with the state by Oct. 1.