St. Charles Aldermen OK Alcohol, Hotel Tax Increase

ST. CHARLES, IL –The St. Charles City Council voted Monday in favor of increasing its taxes on hotel room rentals and alcohol sales, the Daily Herald reports. Aldermen acting as a government operations committee voted 7-1 in favor of raising the alcohol tax from 2 to 3 percent, which could bring in an additional $600,000 for the city on top of the $1.2 million the tax already generates. The tax is place on packaged liquor as well as drinks served at bars and restaurants.

Aldermen also approved a 2 percent hotel tax hike – a move that will drum up an extra $380,000 in funds–in a 7-2 vote, according to the article. The hotel/motel tax brings in $1.9 million each year. Those funds help to finance the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau and the St. Charles History Museum.

An additional gas tax increase was voted down 4-3 last month by the government operations committee in June. The city council will have the final say on that hike as well as the alcohol and hotel tax hikes in a Aug. 6 meeting.

The tax increases are meant to bring in revenue for growing operating expenses as well as several planned capital projects to keep the city's budget in the black.

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