Officials said they wanted to keep bars in town, though some had reservations about cutting fees.
ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen agreed on Monday to lower liquor license fees to keep bars in town.
The lone dissenter called Elmhurst the "Las Vegas of alcohol," saying he meant it positively.
According to the city, Elmhurst's license fees are a lot higher than those in comparable towns.
Over the last three years, 10 local establishments have either cancelled their licenses or requested payment plans, the city said. Some of those have closed.
Alderman Mike Brennan said Elmhurst needs its bars and restaurants downtown because they create a "great vibe" that residents in other towns admire.
But he said restaurants that cannot afford Elmhurst's liquor licenses aren't in a fair fight. For him, the choice between a restaurant with alcohol and one without is easy.
"I want to have a beer with my food," Brennan said.
Alderman Rex Irby called Elmhurst a "liquor town."
"I see that as a positive comment, not a negative," he said. "The first building in town was a union hall on St. Charles before there was a Cottage Hill. It was a bar. We have one of the highest per capita liquor outlets in DuPage."
He continued, "We are kind of like the Las Vegas of alcohol, and we should be proud of that. I don't have a problem with that. I would like to continue with our current rates."
He questioned the city's proposal called for reviewing rates every three years. He said he wanted the City Council to have the power to do so annually.
However, Mayor Scott Levin, the city's liquor commissioner, said nothing stopped aldermen from reviewing the issue more often.
He also said a perception existed that downtown restaurants and bars were "raking it in."
"Some businesses are making a killing, others aren't," he said.
The city's existing ordinance calls for license fees to rise with the inflation rate, but that has meant big hikes in the last few years, the mayor said.
"I'm not looking at ways to cut our revenues, but I think it's important to be fair," he said.
He said he doesn't want establishments leaving for towns such as Wheaton, which have successful downtowns with lower license fees.
"We're not the only game in town," he said.
Alderman Michael Bram said he was sitting on the fence because everyone's costs were increasing, not just those of restaurants and bars. He said the city's expenses, including employees' salaries and benefits, keep going up.
Alderman Jacob Hill also had reservations. He said he gets upset when he sees unexpected "market sustainability" or "market competitiveness" fees slipped into restaurant bills.
"I wish these businesses would not pass on those costs to residents, and yet here we are being sensitive to the costs we're asking them to pay for liquor fees," Hill said. "I'm not sure how I land on it, but it doesn't sit well with me."
The council decided to lower the fees, with Irby voting no. Alderwomen Noel Talluto and Jennifer Veremis were absent.
The proposed fees are expected to reduce the city's annual income by $87,000.
Under the proposal, a bar that serves all types of alcohol would pay $4,000 a year, down from $5,500.