SSMMA Mayors Concerned with Governor Pritzker’s Budget Proposal to Eliminate Grocery Tax |
On February 26th, Governor Pritzker in his State of the State and Budget Address proposed that Illinois take steps to permanently eliminate the 1% sales tax on groceries which are collected from grocery receipts by the state, then transferred to local governments within each jurisdiction from which the taxes were raised. The cancellation of this tax would amount to an estimated loss of approximately $325 million statewide that directly impacts municipalities, including those in the Southland.
Local mayors immediately questioned whether the Governor was also proposing a transfer of a like amount of General Revenue Funds to offset the loss as he did in 2022 when the state established its temporary Grocery Tax "Holiday". The rationale then was to reduce the impact on household budgets but not reduce the level of revenues distributed to municipalities which would severely impact their ability to deliver essential services to residents and businesses. Unfortunately, the Governor has not proposed a revenue swap this time. In short, municipalities are being told they’ll have to figure out a way to do without, cut costs, or make it up another way.
Here in the Southland, which is not “the land of plenty”, this means municipalities are again being told they will have to find a way to operate and provide services to constituents with less. Passing along the costs to taxpayers is a no-win situation. Many of the south suburbs are historically overburdened and underserved communities that already face some of the highest tax burdens in the state and perhaps the country.
With that backdrop, municipal leaders have been told they’ll now have to find a way to pay down escalating public safety pension obligations; deliver increasingly costly public services- snow removal, garbage pick up, road maintenance and public works activities, water, sewage, and more; address growing public safety needs and support current staff salaries, including police and fire personnel; tackle necessary public infrastructure projects- water, sewer, roads, bridges, broadband and other critical local projects—which was already extraordinarily difficult on limited budgets—with less.
This is untenable. Mayors, Managers, Stakeholders: contact your legislators in the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate to let them know how a reduction in Grocery Tax revenues, without a commensurate amount of General Revenue Funds as replacement, is unconscionable to communities like those in the Southland that have faced historic inequity, divestment, job loss, high property taxes and poor collection rates. Southland communities should be made whole on any loss of revenues that impact municipal stability and local quality of life.
Updates, as they are available, will be on SSMMA’s website here.
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Register Today for SSMMA's Vendor Fair Member Appreciation Dinner |
Join the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association on the evening of Thursday, March 21 for our 5th annual Vendor Fair Member Appreciation Dinner event!
This year's vendor fair will be held at Glenwoodie Golf Club. Registration is due by March 13. Contact Melissa Doud for questions or more information. |
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
Visit our website for SSMMA's meeting schedule, Zoom log-in information, and meeting materials.
Housing Collaborative Meeting - March 14 at 2pm via Zoom (rescheduled from 2/9)
SSMMA Board Meeting - Thursday, March 21 (Held at Vendor Fair)
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Grant Opportunities and Resources |
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• Funding for projects to enhance urban and community forestry in disadvantaged communities is now available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry allocation of the Inflation Reduction Act. Register for an info session here.
• Find a list of grant opportunities for the state of Illinois here.
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News from Community Partners |
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Call for Projects: Local Planning Assistance |
• Communities throughout northeastern Illinois can now submit applications to receive planning support that can make roads safer, increase access, leverage local transit assets, and improve connections for all users.
• The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) partnered to host this year’s call for projects. The online application covers the different program offerings and asks interested applicants a series of questions to identify their goals and strategies for projects. Communities can submit applications until the call closes at noon on Friday, March 22. For any questions about the application process, email applications@cmap.illinois.gov.
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Prairie State College Hosting Job/Resource Fair |
• The PSC Job/Resource Fair 2024 at Prairie State College will take place on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. at 10:00am until 2:00pm.
• This Job/Resource & Job Fair, being presented by the PSC Office of Military Student Affairs, is open to the public, and over 40 vendors are projected to attend. The fair will feature employment and volunteer opportunities, housing, legal and educational information, military-affiliated services, and more. Learn more.
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Save the Date: 2nd Annual Pathways to Cook County Government Summit |
• Join County Government for the 2nd Annual Pathways to Cook Summit on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
• Participants will have access to instructional workshops designed to help them establish partnerships with the County, covering topics such as exploring grant opportunities, understanding capital readiness, obtaining certification with Cook County, navigating career opportunities through Taleo Profile, engaging in procurement with Contracting 101, and participating in Job Order Contracting. Learn more.
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Job Postings & Requests for Proposals |
• Municipalities and organizations can send job openings and proposals here to be publicly posted.
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Still Have Old Copper Lines? Granite Offers EPIK Analog Line Replacement Solution
• Suburban Purchasing Cooperative Telecommunications Program vendor Granite Government Solutions (Contract #205) offers a fully managed analog (old copper) line replacement solution called EPIK for all phone, alarm, and elevator lines. Granite Senior Sales Executive Frank Ventrella can help explore options to replace these outdated lines. He may be reached at fventrella@granitenet.com or 630-649-0823.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2024 SPC Vendor Showcase
• The 2024 Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) Vendor Showcase will be held on Wednesday, July 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Oakton College, 1600 E. Golf Road in Des Plaines. The Showcase will be held in Rooms 1608 and 1610 with parking available in Lot C.
The SPC Vendor Showcase presents a unique opportunity for local government officials from the SPC’s participating councils of government and others to meet one-on-one with SPC vendors at one time. Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC), DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC), South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) and Will County Governmental League (WCGL) members and staff will be onsite to learn about the products, services, and solutions offered by the SPC to help you better serve your communities. Vendors will have individual display areas where you can discuss all your joint purchasing needs.
Surplus Vehicle & Equipment Auction on April 23
• The spring SPC Surplus Vehicle & Equipment Auction will be held on Tuesday, April 23 at Americas Auto Auction (America’s AA) in Crestwood. Thank you to Lincolnshire, Palatine and Tinley Park, who have registered to participate in the sale. America’s AA offers a wide variety of convenient services to prep vehicles and garner the highest possible price. Please note that vehicles and equipment can be listed for disposal at the NWMC auction right up to the morning of the auction day. Sell them now to get a fresh start and please keep in mind that a portion of the proceeds helps support the operations of the organization. The remaining live auctions for the year will be held on July 23 and October 22. In addition, America’s AA hosts online sales on par with other government surplus Internet auctions. For more information, please contact staff or America’s AA Account Executive Berry Ellis, 312-371-5993 or berry.ellis@americasautoauction.com
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