Champaign County Board approves putting tax increase on November ballot

Jun. 22—URBANA — Champaign County voters will decide the fate of a proposed sales-tax increase this fall.

On Thursday, the county board approved adding a referendum on a "Special County Retailers' Occupation Tax for Public Safety," which would add a quarter-cent to the county's sales-tax rate, to the Nov. 5 ballot.

Proponents say the increase is necessary to support investments such as competitive wages to attract correctional officers for the understaffed juvenile detention center, an additional sheriff's deputy to support a new mental-health-focused court program and a budget that enables the public defender's office to hire more expert witnesses.

Stephanie Fortado, chair of the county boards' finance committee, noted that purchases of groceries and prescription medicine will be exempt from the increase, which is estimated to bring in nearly $7 million in additional revenue each year.

If approved, the hike amounts to an additional 25 cents on every $100. It would bring the county's total sales-tax rate to 0.5 percent.

Every dollar raised through the tax would be required, by statute, to be spent on public-safety needs. The county board would then have to deliberate how exactly to allocate the funds toward its "underfunded" courts, law-enforcement, corrections and juvenile-program services, Fortado said.

"We have a very hard time hiring people in our county in positions in all sorts of different departments, and at some point, what that means is we're not providing the kinds of services that we really should be providing for the residents of our county," she said. "It's quite simply just a revenue crunch."

In a November memo to the board, Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman noted that his department's expenses and operational needs have increased each year, even as county projections show the agency will likely see a decrease in its budget in the coming years.

Heuerman highlighted that the department needs to hire more staff — including an administrative sergeant — in light of increased state training and auditing requirements, and six more deputies as fewer officers are being retained in police departments in rural areas.

The sheriff also emphasized the need to invest in initiatives like accreditation, specialty court programs, a mental-health response team and general officer training, retention and equipment.

"From my knowledge of it, a public-safety sales-tax increase seems to be a good solution without the need to raise property taxes," Heuerman wrote. "After all, everyone who comes to Champaign County potentially benefits from the services of the sheriff's office, not just residents living within Champaign County. This can help support our public-safety needs without putting the entire burden on Champaign County residents."

In a similar memo expressing support for the tax, Chief Public Defender Elisabeth Pollock noted that three of her current employees are funded through potentially insecure grants, and her office lacks the budget to be considered fully staffed with a 16th attorney.

The county board approved adding the referendum to the November ballot via voice vote Thursday. While it passed easily, several members voted

During a , board member Jeff Wilson said he was concerned about the impact of the county tax given present inflation and that the city of Champaign is considering its own tax increase.

Board member Brett Peugh acknowledged that the county needs the funds but noted that his constituents who live in a historically Black district will be hit the hardest by the tax and don't support the measure.

Still, County Executive Steve Summers said he "absolutely" supports the tax increase and noted that the county has sustained a net loss in revenue after enactment of the SAFE-T Act, which abolished cash bail, in September.

"I think public safety is important to residents in Champaign County," Summers said. "The funds from the quarter-cent are statutorily required to be spent on items that have an impact on public safety. Full stop there, really."