By Scott McCoy
Recently, Bloomington’s elected leaders decided to increase the liquor license fees on their local businesses.
And now, Mayor Renner wants to create a new video gaming machine fee on these same establishments.
Mayor Renner keeps saying that liquor establishments are causing increased costs in policing.
Yes, I would agree that you’ll have more police calls to a bar than you would at, say, a gift shop.
But this is due to serving liquor and the establishment’s control of their business. This is why there is a liquor license process, fees, and a local liquor commission.
When I asked the mayor, on social media, how the gaming machines are increasing the city’s policing costs, he called my question “silly,” and refuses to answer any of my questions.
The truth is — gaming machines don’t cause any additional issues for the city. They are no different than an establishment that has pool tables, dart boards, or live entertainment.
But Mayor Renner showed his hand when he said these establishments make a lot of profit on the gaming machines – and, quote, “they can afford it.”
If your business makes a profit, then the government thinks they are entitled to a portion of your money.
So, let’s talk money and the real numbers.
In 2015, Bloomington establishments made an average of $84,000.
That helps these businesses hire more people, improve their buildings, expand, provide benefits to employees, and thrive.
But now, Mayor Renner wants to impose a $500-per-year fee, per machine, on these businesses.
It may not seem like a lot, but it’s an arbitrary number. I can’t find anywhere how this fee is based on real costs to the city.
The city of Bloomington has 236 gaming machines. That would be $118,000 in new fees to local businesses – and $118,000 taken out of the local economy.
What the mayor isn’t tell you is that the city already gets a portion of the profits of all gaming machines in the city.
In 2015, that brought in $700,000 in pure revenue to the city of Bloomington.
The truth is, the state grants the ability for local municipalities to charge a fee, and mayor Renner sees a way to take more money. The city could have imposed a fee in 2014 when all of this began, but they didn’t. Now that the mayor see the amounts of profit these businesses are making – the mayor wants a larger cut.
How about we start rewarding businesses for doing well by staying off their backs – instead of punishing them for success?
Scott McCoy is the former mayor of Pontiac, Illinois. He fought FEMA in Pontiac’s worst natural disaster in recorded history – reversing FEMA’s denial for federal help for the historic flood that greatly impacted Pontiac and Watseka. In 2008 and 2009, Scott successfully took on then-Governor Rod Blagojevich, who attempted to shut down the Pontiac Correctional Center. He also worked to build Pontiac, Illinois into one of the top tourism communities in Illinois.
Scott has been a small business owner for the past 20 years. His company develops software technology and video marketing media.
In 2015, Scott and his family moved to Normal, where his wife, Jennifer, is completing her degree in the ISU Principal Preparation Program.
In December, 2015, Scott joined the WJBC Forums.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media, Inc.
