City Hall promotes yes vote on local Joliet grocery tax

City Hall issued a news release Friday promoting a local grocery tax that goes to the Joliet City Council for a vote next week.

The 1% tax would replace a state tax that provides revenues to Joliet and other municipalities but ends Jan. 1.

The Herald-News reported Thursday that the tax was expected to go to the council for a vote based on an interview with Councilman Larry Hug.

But other city officials, including Mayor Terry D’Arcy and City Manager Beth Beatty, did not return phone calls seeking comment and confirmation that the tax would go to the council for a vote.

Finance Director Kevin Sing, who also did not return a call from The Herald-News about the grocery tax, is quoted in the news release supporting it.

Kevin Sing, finance director and interim city manager for the city of Joliet, reviews items on his laptop before the start of the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 6. — Kevin Sing, seen in this file photo, is the finance director for the city of Joliet. (Bob Okon)

“Joliet, like many communities across Illinois, relies on the grocery tax as a consistent, reliable source of funding,” Sing said in the release. “Preserving this funding locally ensures we can continue investing in critical services.”

The news release putting a stamp of approval on the local grocery tax was issued before the matter was presented to the City Council, leaving any council opponents to the tax in the position of bucking the message from City Hall.

Hug said he intended to vote against the local tax.

The news release was issued at 3:13 p.m. Friday, about the same time that the city posted the agendas for the Monday and Tuesday council meetings that provided the first official public notice that the grocery tax would go to the council for a vote.

The grocery tax is on the pre-council meeting agenda for discussion on Monday and on the regular council meeting agenda on Tuesday for a vote.

Shoppers seen in this file photo at Tony’s Fresh Market in Joliet. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawnedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

The news release from the city diminishes the impact of the grocery tax on consumers and emphasizes the potential effect on city finances.

“While the individual cost is small, just $1 on a $100 grocery bill, the collective impact is significant, generating millions annually for Joliet’s most vital functions,” the release said.

The city estimates that it would lose $3.7 million in annual revenue without the tax.

That loss could have an impact on the city’s ability to repair roads and sidwalks, Sing said in the release.