Western Springs May Hike Sales Tax, Cites 'Increasing Strain'

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs is looking to raise its sales tax on non-grocery items because of an "increasing strain" on its budget, according to a village memo last week.

In 2022, 54 percent of voters rejected such a tax, which was intended to pay for infrastructure. However, under a change to state law, the village now has the right to enact the tax without going to the voters.

In the last few years, Western Springs has been looking for ways to get more money.

In 2023, the Village Board voted for a stormwater fee that officials said would cost most homeowners $210 a year.

And last year, nearly three-quarters of voters backed a property tax hike that the village said would cost the owner of a $750,000 house an extra $345 a year over a decade.

Compared with other suburbs, the village's commercial tax base is small, which is considered a budget challenge. Western Springs lacks sales-tax-generating businesses such as car dealerships and big-box stores.

According to last week's memo, the Village Board's finance committee last June discussed budget challenges caused by unfunded mandates, pension obligations, market conditions and infrastructure needs.

In a special meeting that same month, the Village Board requested its staff collect data throughout the 2026 budget process.

The staff plans to present its findings to the finance committee at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday at Village Hall.

Under state law, the tax can be up to 1 percent. It can be used to help pay for police, public works, and infrastructure upgrades, as well as provide property tax relief, according to the village memo.

Based on 2024 data, a 1 percent tax on non-grocery items would raise $1 million a year, the village said.