Bensenville asking voters about grocery tax; what’s your town’s plan?

Voters near O’Hare International Airport will have a chance to weigh in on whether to keep or cut the 1% grocery tax. The statewide tax ends in 2026, but nearly 50 communities have already passed their own 1% grocery tax.

Bensenville residents will have a chance to say whether the village should implement a 1% local grocery sales tax after the statewide grocery tax ends in January 2026.

This advisory referendum on the April 1 ballot will ask for resident input on an important taxation matter that affects both the village and household budgets. Voters will see the following question:

“Shall the Village of Bensenville impose a one percent local grocery sales tax?”

The state of Illinois decided to end its grocery tax. Now, Bensenville can choose to add its own 1% tax on food items. This would apply to foods such as packaged goods, fruits and vegetables. It wouldn’t apply to alcohol, soft drinks or ready-to-eat meals that are taxed at higher rates. Roughly 50 towns around Illinois have already decided to pass their own 1% grocery tax.

Voters should know this is an “advisory” vote. The results don’t automatically create or block the tax. After seeing how residents vote, the village board would still need to make the final decision about whether to add the tax.

On the same April ballot, Bensenville residents will also vote on two other questions: whether to keep the current form of government that uses a village manager, and whether to keep charging fees for pet licenses. All three votes give residents a chance to share what they think about local taxes and how their town is run.