Glenview board supports $600K of financial assistance for restaurants
With some resistance reflected in a 4-2 vote in favor of the resolution, the Glenview board of trustees on Tuesday supported a one-time financial assistance program of an estimated $616,000 for village restaurants and brewpubs affected by COVID-19.
Tuesday's action, the third time the board had considered the topic, concerned a refund of 50% of restaurants' local sales tax revenues. It followed a Dec. 5 move to waive 2021 liquor license fees and fees for health inspections.
Those lost fees would reduce revenues coming in to the village by approximately $160,000. Despite the considerable financial aid package cleared Tuesday to be paid out of the village's Corporate Fund, Glenview Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Betsy Baer believed it was warranted.
"It is not throwing money away to help these restaurants," Baer said in public comment during the village's 21st virtual meeting.
Seventy restaurants that had lost more than 25% of their local sales taxes from 2019 to 2020 will be reimbursed under the resolution that passed. Provided those restaurants can prove those losses, they'll get aid capped at a possible $25,000.
Trustees didn't have much problem with the liquor license and inspection waivers in the prior meeting, carrying that motion 6-0. It had been determined, however, to work with the Chamber of Commerce and restaurateurs to decide on what additional assistance might look like.
That meeting discussed ideas such as a coupon program, rental assistance or property tax relief, flat or equal aid to all restaurants, or reimbursement of expenses due to COVID. Those were deemed insufficient or unworkable.
A sales tax relief program based on year-over-year losses was the restaurateurs' preference.
But at what levels?
Several charts presented to the board provided a multitude of options. For example, if all 95 (of 167) of Glenview's restaurants and brewpubs that took a loss of sales taxes greater than 10% were reimbursed at 100%, that nick in the corporate fund would be $1,920,000.
There were questions as to the equity of aiding restaurants at all while other businesses were not being addressed. Or if a sales tax refund of, say, $10,000 would really do any good.
"It reminds me of Coach John Wooden, who said, 'Don't confuse activity with accomplishment,'" said trustee John Hinkamp.
On the other hand, there was Mary Venezia, proprietor of Johnny's Kitchen and Tap and with the Glenview Chamber of Commerce. She called in Tuesday and said even $1,000 could help.
The 70 affected restaurants will do better than that under the resolution that passed, with reimbursements averaging approximately $8,800.