Fox River Grove voters approve sales tax hike

Voters in Fox River Grove approved a sales tax increase by the narrowest of margins Tuesday, despite the tough economy.

With all five of the precincts reporting in McHenry County, 414 voters approved the measure over 412 who voted no. In Lake County, where there is one precinct, voters there approved the referendum by 11 votes, 30 to 19.

That’s an unofficial total of 444 to 431.

Fox River Grove officials asked voters to approve a quarter-percentage point increase in the sales tax — to 7.25 percent — to help with downtown redevelopment.

The extra quarter per $100 spent is expected to generate $100,000 per year. That money will be used for infrastructure projects in business districts as a way to spruce up the downtown.