The mayor of Peoria Heights has vetoed a grocery tax approved overwhelmingly by the village board in early September, saying that he could not tax citizens’ dinner tables.
Mayor Matt Wigginton announced Friday in a Facebook post that the 1% tax on groceries, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, was vetoed by his office, calling it an “unprecedented” action that would keep grocery prices down for the village’s residents.
“Make no mistake, a grocery tax is a regressive tax,” Wigginton said. “It takes a larger share of income from working families, seniors with fixed incomes and those living paycheck to paycheck. With this mayoral veto, groceries in Peoria Heights will be less expensive for our citizens. We will also have a competitive advantage in enticing new grocers to our community — something I am actively pursuing.”
The tax was put on the agenda after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced last year he would be doing away with the state’s 1% sales tax on groceries. The village board voted 5-1 on Sept. 4 to institute its own tax, concerned about the loss of $125,000 in annual revenue.
However, Wigginton said that with one in seven people in Peoria County facing food insecurity and 100% of public school students in Peoria Heights eligible for free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school, he felt he could not impose a new tax on the community.
“While all of our surrounding communities have also passed a grocery tax, I must serve and do what I believe is right for the citizens of the Village of Peoria Heights,” Wigginton said.
Peoria, East Peoria, Pekin, Morton and Washington have all implemented their own 1% tax on groceries.
Wigginton said that while village code grants him the authority to veto legislation, he was unable to find a prior incidence of a mayor exercising that power.
“As the 26th mayor of Peoria Heights, I do not take this unprecedented action lightly,” he said.
Wigginton said that he will inform the board of his decision at the next village board meeting on Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Heights mayor says he has vetoed ‘regressive’ grocery tax
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
