{"id":29560,"date":"2025-07-01T10:07:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T10:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/29560\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T10:07:09","slug":"we-dont-need-a-grocery-tax-we-need-a-smarter-city-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/29560\/","title":{"rendered":"We don’t need a grocery tax. We need a smarter City Hall."},"content":{"rendered":"

Once again, Chicago finds itself debating yet another tax \u2014 this time on groceries, a primary component of our lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s put the facts on the \u201ccounter\u201d for all to see. Putting a tax on food is probably the most regressive idea imaginable. A grocery tax disproportionately burdens working families, seniors and low-income residents. Many of our residents, specifically in minority neighborhoods, are already struggling with inflation, stagnant wages and rising property taxes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gov. JB Pritzker was right to shelve the idea of a grocery tax at the state level. City Hall should follow suit.<\/p>\n

But more than rejecting this tax, we must confront a larger truth. City Hall doesn\u2019t have a revenue problem \u2014 it has a spending problem. And layering regressive taxes on overburdened taxpayers is not a solution \u00a0\u2014 it\u2019s a signal that City Hall would rather pass the buck than tighten its own belt.<\/p>\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a historic influx of federal funds papered over our fiscal flaws. But those funds are drying up, and the structural problems they masked remain.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s property tax levy has more than doubled in the past 10 years. According to the Cook County clerk, the property tax levy grew faster than the city\u2019s overall taxable value. From 2012 to 2023, the levy increased 102%, while taxable value increased only 53%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Annual property tax increases are not the only problem created by City Hall. What about the future bills now owed by taxpayers? In a recent Civic Federation report, City Hall debt now exceeds $29 billion. What does this mean? A squeeze on property owners, renters and small businesses alike for years to come.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alas, some bad news has yet to arrive in the neighborhoods. Skyrocketing property tax bills will start appearing. Some low-income residential areas, Englewood for example, will see hikes of over 100%. With some neighborhoods at less than an 80% property tax collection rate, the loss of homes and small businesses will continue.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, new developments have slowed, commercial vacancies are high and property tax appeals are rising. On the one hand, we are pushing residents out by expecting them to pay more for less. And on the other hand, where is the \u201copen for business\u201d sign much sought after by those who would like to invest? What is required is structural change. Simply, the costs of services must decrease, while the quality of the services must improve.<\/p>\n

Nowhere is the \u201ccurrently under maintenance\u201d sign more visible than downtown. Once the city\u2019s economic engine, downtown is buckling under the weight of commercial vacancies and disinvestment. Tourists and office workers are avoiding downtown. Why? Businesses, especially in retail and hospitality, face higher security costs and reduced foot traffic. When businesses can\u2019t protect their merchandise, when families don\u2019t feel safe using public transit and when tourists start skipping Chicago for other cities, tax revenues dry up. It\u2019s simple math.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t need another study. Recently, City Hall announced it had hired Ernst & Young to conduct an operational review \u2014 at a potential cost of over $3 million. But why pay a consultant to tell us what we already know? The data for the solutions is in City Hall\u2019s annual budget and audited annual financial statements. Places to find the solutions are already right there. There is simply no need for yet another study.<\/p>\n

For example, start with the ballooning of contractual services. Then, go to overtime abuse and outdated staffing mandates. Then turn to our pension funds. They continue to underperform, losing billions in potential returns because of high-fee, low-yield investment strategies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If Chicago is serious about restoring fiscal health without inflicting more pain on working families, it must embrace structural reform:<\/p>\n