Mundelein board more than doubles business registration fee

The price of Mundelein’s annual business registration fee will more than double next year.

The village board on Monday voted to increase the mandatory charge to $75, up from $35. The change is effective for the 2027 fiscal year, which starts May 1, 2026.

Additionally, a $75 late fee will be charged to any business that doesn’t register by May 1. The late fee will increase to $100 for registrations submitted 60 days or more after the deadline.

The registration process ensures village hall has an accurate record of businesses, Assistant Village Administrator Lynne Monroe said in a memo. The process and fee also support public safety, zoning, and economic development efforts, she said.

Nonprofit organizations may request fee waivers but still must register, officials said.

Mundelein Mayor Robin Meier defended the fee increase in social media posts before Monday’s meeting.

The village’s public safety and building departments use the contact information on business registrations to quickly contact business owners during emergencies, Meier said. But “significant numbers of businesses” have ignored the mandatory registration process, she said.

Village staffers must then try to persuade the entrepreneurs to register, Meier said.

“It’s not fair to the businesses that do pay,” Meier said.

The new registration fee is closer to what other communities charge while still being among the lowest in the region, Monroe said in her memo.

Before Monday’s unanimous vote, Trustee Tony Ugaste expressed concern about increasing a registration fee that the village already struggles to collect from some merchants. “I feel like that’s counterintuitive,” he said.

Ugaste also said the proposal felt “a little bit punitive.”

“We want to be business-friendly,” he said. “We want to support our small businesses.”

Ugaste recommended village leaders ask the volunteer economic development commission to help educate entrepreneurs about the benefits of registering their businesses, an idea Trustee Daniel Juarez supported.

After other trustees shared their opinions, Meier talked about the various ways village hall assists local businesses, including grant programs and promotional efforts. She called the fee “reasonable” and said she doesn’t expect much resistance from business owners.

Enforcement proposals will be discussed down the road, Village Administrator Eric Guenther said.