Rialto Theatre Budget Talks Turn Contentious at Joliet Council Meeting

JOLIET, IL — Members of the Joliet City Council held a special meeting Monday night to discuss the city’s budget.

The talks turned contentious when Councilman Larry Hug brought up the issue of cutting funding to the Rialto Theatre. The theatre is currently budgeted to receive $600,000.

Councilman John Gerl asked if there had ever been an economic development study done on the Rialto.

Hug said there was a study done in 2012 that was not an independent study and was commissioned by the Rialto itself.

Randy Green, general manager of the Rialto, said $7.5 million dollars was returned to the community as a result of additional spending.

Hug said if that’s number accurate and “not a well-polished marketing study, then why do we only have one restaurant that’s been open longer than a year-and-a-half? Why have we lost so many over the 18 years?”

Green said most of those restaurants have had activity through a variety of owners.

“I think the natural evolution of the restaurant business has carried through and has been sustained for a period of time by the activity downtown,” Green said.

Hug said that’s not accurate and that he’s owned businesses over 25 years.

“I’m done with the polished turd. The bottom line is you come before us, you don’t bring any hard numbers except back in 2012. You tell us you’re an economic engine. ... I’m trying to balance a budget for every member of this city. Not the 20,000 who buy tickets but the 150,000 who live here,” Hug said.

An economic engine would not have a “natural progression” of failed businesses, Hug said.

Green defended his remarks by saying that the Rialto brings people downtown and it’s up to those businesses to capitalize on it.

“We only provide them opportunities to succeed,” Green said.

Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk asked Green if it would be possible for the Rialto to operate without funding from the city

Green said the Rialto was created with a dedicated funding source and then later it was tied into gaming revenue and then tied into the general city budget.

“We have no taxing authority, we have no bonding authority. ...We’ve always needed to have a partnership and that’s been very generously provided by the City of Joliet since 1979 when they became a partner to make the downtown redevelopment of the Rialto a part of an economic development program for the city,” Green said.

The council has until just before the end of the month to pass the budget.