Oak Park’s village trustees gave every indication they were ready to pass a 1% tax on groceries at a meeting held after press time. Good decision.
This tax will replace the state’s 1% grocery tax, which ends Jan. 1. So there will be no change in what shoppers are paying. But with estimates that this tax is worth $1.5 million in annual revenue to the village, there was no choice but to approve it.
In a meeting last week, trustees previewed their votes while several noted that such a tax is “regressive.” We take the point. But not having adequate funds to provide government services is also problematic.