Village officials in Niles, Ill., are examining ways to increase revenue, including the imposition of a new tax on self-storage businesses. Trustee George Alpogianis proposed implementation of a self-storage tax during an Aug. 12 meeting of the general government and information-technology committee, of which he is chair.

Alpogianis told the committee he started thinking about the tax because of a new self-storage facility that’s being built in the village’s industrial district. He said he consulted with attorney Danielle Grcic before making the proposal.

“[After] all the charges we charge our citizens, I think we need to find more ways to bring money into the village,” Alpogianis said during the meeting. “Storage facilities seem to be in the gray area, and nobody knows how to tax them. I’m sorry; I just can’t understand how businesses can come into town and we can’t [tax them].”

There is a precedent in the state to support the proposed tax. The Illinois communities of Morton Grove, North Chicago and River Grove have imposed some form of tax on self-storage businesses. Morton Grove requires facilities to charge tax on tenants. Earlier this year, Lincolnwood, Ill., considered imposing a storage tax before placing a one-year ban on self-storage development in the village’s commercial areas.

The Niles General Government Committee decided to hold off on making a recommendation until the building and zoning committee could discuss a series of business-fee proposals during a meeting scheduled for yesterday, the source reported.

“If we can get something from the [building and zoning committee] by next month, that would be great,” Alpogianis said. “Time is money.”

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