‘Lesser of two evils’: Naperville approves local grocery tax

Shoppers visit the Costco at 75th Street and Route 59 in Naperville. The city will replace the state’s 1% grocery tax with a local tax. Daily Herald file photo

Naperville shoppers will continue paying a 1% tax on their groceries.

Following the lead of several neighboring communities, Naperville city council members this week voted 5-4 to replace the state’s 1% grocery tax with a local tax.

Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law repealing the 1% statewide grocery tax. The law allows cities to enact their own grocery tax to maintain the status quo.

City officials estimated that without a replacement tax, Naperville would have lost roughly $6.5 million a year in revenue.

Initially, the council was expected to vote on a proposed .25% increase in Naperville’s home rule sales tax instead