Should DeKalb enact a local grocery tax? Mayoral candidates weigh in

DeKALB – The state of Illinois is doing away with its grocery tax beginning in January 2026.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest decision comes on the heels of action taken to suspend the tax for one year in 2022.

In an email to Shaw Local News Network, DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas said the loss of the tax from grocery stores including Jewel-Osco, DeKalb Fresh Market, Aldi and Schnucks would cost the city about $800,000 in estimated grocery tax revenue for 2024.

Typically, the city allocates revenue generated from the state grocery tax toward departmental operations.

“Any drop in such proceeds would have to be offset by an equal increase in some other general revenue to maintain the current level of operations,” Nicklas said.

During a candidates forum with Shaw Local News Network this week, incumbent Mayor Cohen Barnes and candidates Linh Nguyen and Kouame Sanan discussed the issues central to the 2025 DeKalb mayoral race. Candidate John Walker, a 7th Ward alderman, was unable to attend.

Candidates were asked whether they would push to enact a local grocery tax for DeKalb residents, since the state is doing away with it.

Barnes criticized the state for what he called removing local control by eliminating a tax municipalities rely on and providing no plan to make it up. He said that if reelected, he would push the city to make up the funding loss elsewhere.

“I just spent four years not raising taxes,” Barnes said. “I am not in the mood, in any way, shape or form, to do it. But the governor tied our hands on this one. So there is a potential, sure ... which means we’re not increasing the tax, right? The governor removed it – we’re just putting it back at a local level.”

Sanan said he could not say whether he would commit to pushing for a local grocery tax on DeKalb residents.

“Like now, for example, the price of eggs went up,” Sanan said. “We complain, but people are still paying for it. I’m not for it, but we don’t have a choice. Whatever we can do to bring revenue to the city, that’s how it’ll be done. ... But the thing is, there’s more pressing and more important issues to deal with than grocery taxes.”

Nguyen said she believes there’s a lot more the city can learn from connecting with leaders from neighboring communities about reducing the city’s costs.

“We can look around to our neighbors and see what everybody is doing,” Nguyen said. “We could conduct a comprehensive review of our fee structure for various city services, making moderate adjustments on actual service costs. We could collaborate with the surrounding neighborhood cities to identify opportunities for shared services or shared resources to pool in resources or save costs.”

In a March 7 interview with Shaw Local, Walker said he is not in support of pushing a grocery tax on DeKalb residents.

“DeKalb citizens are already busted at the seams to provide for their families,” Walker said. “At some point, we need a break. I will not be implementing a grocery tax. I’m sure we can cut some excess fat in our budget before we have to again put it on the DeKalb citizen. It’s all about needs versus wants.”