Upside of Du Quoin sales tax is development and good schools

Regardless of the financial challenge, Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi says he doesn't have the stomach for raising taxes, and has had an uncanny knack for finding other ways to deal with both capital repairs and day-to-day finances without it.

Over the years, sales tax--whether through state statute or home rule--has provided a means to help pay for the new Du Quoin High School and extensive business redevelopment. Those tools have worked very well and will continue to do so.

Illinois has a state sales tax of 6.25 percent on most of the goods sold in the state, but cities and counties have added their own taxes for various reasons, pushing sales tax rates as high as 10 percent. Not all of them do; almost 400 municipalities only pay the state sales tax rate. Shoppers in these 15 towns are at the top of the sales tax list. No. 1 River Grove, Ill. 10%. No. 2 Cicero, Ill. 9.75%. Bellwood, Ill. 9.50%. No. 3-15 (tie) Stone Park, Skokie, Rosemont, Norridge, Niles, Monmouth, Hopkins Park, Harwood Heights, Du Quoin, Country Club Hills, Chicago 9.25%.

Cook County towns will add another 1% after Jan. 1 after the Nov. 18 approval of the 2016 Cook County budget.