How Will Naperville Use Its F&B Tax Surplus?
The tax currently brings in about $3.3 million per year; Naperrville is considering expanding from just issuing cultural grants to funding services and pensions.
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With the Naperville's one-pecent food and beverage tax (instituted in 2004) now bringing in about $3.3 million per year, the city is considering capping the amount of that fund that can be spent on Special Events and Cultural Amenities (SECA) grants—the Chicago Tribune reports.
According to the paper, a quarter of the money is already being diverted into the city's General Fund and may be used on pension debt; now, Naperville councilmen have agreed to cap cultural-grant funding at $2 million (a number that would grow by a currently unknown percentage annually), perhaps leaving extra money to funnel into social-services grants.
"We're doing this with an existing revenue stream; this is not a new tax," the paper quoted Councilman Grant Wehrli saying. "This saves Naperville taxpayers money. It keeps it off their real estate property tax bill."
Final approval for all SECA grants are in April, the paper said.
Gerard Schilling
7:16 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
This is a typical illogical politician. It saves tax payers money because some of it goes to the general fund. Who does he think pays this tax in the first place?
It is discriminatory against one segment of society and certain types of businesses to reward and pick winners and losers by 9 people (Council) who are buying votes with these SECA tax transfers!
Joe Naper
8:17 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
So Gerard, Would you rather have more of the pensions on your property tax bill or have all the out of town drunks pay for it? Maybe stop complaining long enough to understand the issue before bloviating?
Gerard Schilling
9:38 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I prefer all tax payers and businesses be treated exactly the same and in all cases every time less taxes is always better for the individual and businesses to create jobs and stimulate the economy then to have a bunch of cronies rewarding their buddies with money extorted from other citizens.
Are out of town people to be robbed? Sounds pretty illegal and short sighted to me. No wonder our country is in trouble with people intrinsically dishonest running it.
Beytier Von Hugh
12:19 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
First off, a 1% tax isn't holding down job creation or harming the economy. On a $50 bill you fork over a crushing.... 50 cents! Wow, that's killing jobs in the time it took to figure it out. Right.
Should a tax reduction be considered? Of course! Do politicians find ways to spend money that should be returned to us. Again, of course they do. Question is, is there a fixed bill that needs paying one way or another. If this pension fund or some other existing and unavoidable bill needs it, then the money should go there before some new expenditure.
And your idea that all businesses should be taxes equally in all cases is great on paper but it doesn't exist at any level of government. It's a dream world that will never come to be. Down here in the real world, there are businesses that get taxed more than others, regardless of party affiliation, size or worthiness. If you want to complain about something, complain about something that can be acted on.
And maybe you could even get out of the chair and do something to make it happen.
Gerard Schilling
7:36 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
You sound conflicted Von Hugh. I do a lot of things to try to educate and motivate couch potatoes like you to get off their duffs and vote, support financially and organize/join conservative groups, MC rallies, address city council, walk in support of candidates etc. What pray tell do you do if anything?
Beytier Von Hugh
9:33 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
And I can see you have had little success if all these things you complain about still exist. Maybe it's time to step up your game.
Bob Fischer
10:27 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Gerald - I guess if you truly believe thay all taxpayers and businesses are to be treated the same - then the logical extension is Smart Meters for all without special dispensation and benefits for people who want the utility to maintain a special stock of analog meters just for them.
Gerard Schilling
12:03 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I would agree if this project was legitimate, served a useful purpose, did not create 10 times the problems it supposedly solved which are none and didn’t abrogate our constitutional rights while at the same time rewarding crooks and thugs!
Beytier Von Hugh
12:21 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Gerald this tax has nothing to do with our Constitutional rights. All rights not spelled out in the Constitution are deemed to belong to the state, right?
John Gallagher
10:41 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Is Naperville no different than the City of Chicago or the State of Illinois. They put a tax in for Culture, get way more money that they ever realized and siphone it off for areas it was never intended. NO ONE ever suggested lowering the tax. Just like every governing body, give them money they will spend it. Where is the money that was supposed to go to pensions and the general fund?
I am tired of hearing that the tax is paid from out of towners, I for one, have been two no less than five resturants downtown in the past two months only to be greeted by lots of traffic, lousey parking and the one percent tax added to my bill. The downtown is the envy of most cities in the surrounding areas, but it is beginning to look tired compared to many cities around the country that have similar venues. With the high rents, Mom and Pops are gone and only chains and bars can afford to be there. Just recently three new resturants at Freedom Drive have opened that are great, good parking, less traffic and no tax. Bolingbrook Prominade is giving good competition as well. Lets remeber that we have a good thing but lets not kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Naperville should live within its means and lower the atx if they are getting more than was originally expected. But why would elected officials do that? They never do! Maybe some of those running will see the need to not take the atxpayer for granted!!
Bob Fischer
11:53 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Last time I was at the Promenade the tax was well in excess of Naperville's - while this was about 2 years ago - I kept the receipt because I could not believe 12% in taxes had been added to my $81 bill - looked like 14.5% on alcohol and around 10% on food.
William Butler
10:38 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Pay the pension plans as was the deal in the first place with employees who earn it. Do it quickly before somebody convinces the city to support another bell tower.