DeKalb County-wide grocery tax? Early talks suggest no

SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County Board on Wednesday will get a chance to comment on a proposal that could add a countywide 1% grocery tax, though not everyone appears for it.

A Board committee unanimously voted against the tax last week, which heads to the full board now for consideration. No decision has yet been made, documents show.

The DeKalb County Finance and Administration Committee unanimously voted against recommending implementation of a grocery tax at its May 7 meeting, county records show.

But the proposal still could be headed to the DeKalb County Board.

If the tax were imposed, consumers would be taxed on “most items that can be purchased at a grocery store with the exception of alcoholic beverages, candy and soft drinks,” according to the county.

Gov. JB Pritzker eliminated the 1% statewide tax on groceries, set to expire on Jan. 1, 2026. Though Pritzker cited a desire to ease Illinoisans’ grocery bill burdens, some municipal leaders across the state have bemoaned the impact lost tax revenue will have on local budgets.

By Wednesday night, residents will know whether a grocery tax will make its way to the full County Board for a vote later this month. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Legislative Center, 200 N. Main St., Sycamore.

The ordinance that would create what officials are calling the “DeKalb County Grocery Service Occupation Tax” was included in a draft agenda for the county board’s Committee of the Whole, which meets Wednesday. The county board’s Executive Committee meets directly after, and is tasked with determining what is voted on.

Committee meetings often are a chance for elected officials to debate countywide proposals on things like ordinances, budgets and taxes. County Board members often discuss at greater length items before they decide whether to vote on them.

Wednesday’s meeting also is expected to include a report from the Board’s Finance Committee chair Scott Campbell, a Democrat from District 7.

It’s not the first governing body around to take up debate on whether to implement local grocery taxes. Municipalities in Huntley, Batavia, Algonquin plan to enact a local tax.

In DeKalb, city officials have said they stand to lose about $800,000 in annual funds without a grocery tax. Mayor Cohen Barnes said it’s likely the DeKalb City Council will take up a tax consideration for local groceries this summer.

To make up for lost revenue, lawmakers gave Illinois counties and municipalities the power to impose an up to 1% local sales taxes on food through an ordinance, without needing a referendum.

If the committee decides to place a grocery tax before the County Board, the earliest a vote could happen would be May 21.