Du Quoin council debates what price food trucks should pay

A three-person committee has been appointed by Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi to look at the effect of making food truck operators buy city business licenses.

Commissioners Jill Kirkpatrick and Mike Ward and City Attorney Aaron Atkins are charged with making a recommendation sometime after the first of the year.

A proposal brought up at Monday's city council meeting to require food truck operators to buy a license if they operate more than 14 days in a calendar year, was tabled. Commissioners and Alongi questioned how it would affect brick and mortar stores in the city, and how it would affect the Du Quoin State Fair, where a lot of so-called transient vendors come into town to work the fairgrounds.

"We don't want to do anything to hurt (the fair)," Alongi said Thursday. The city gets other revenue off of the fairground when it hosts an event, he added; and those vendors already pay a fee to the state of Illinois.

Commissioner Bob Karnes questioned the fairness of brick and mortar businesses having to pay property taxes and sales taxes, plus buy a one-time business license; when food truck operators only have to pay sales taxes. They do not pay property taxes and they do not currently have to buy business licenses.

Alongi said the ordinance he and Atkins proposed on Monday was meant only to be the beginning of a discussion on how to handle food trucks fairly. "We knew it wasn't going to be the final resolution," the mayor added.

Alongi said he is grateful to the five or six food trucks that turn up at local festivals and events at Keyes City Park.

"They are very good about coming up to our fall fest or Back to School party," he said. What's more, he said, the food wagons have taken a big hit - since the events where they ply their trade have been shut down outright or postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, some established local businesses have complained that food trucks have an advantage over them, and are asking the city to level the playing field.

Alongi, meanwhile, said he is suggesting that food trucks be required to get a lifetime business license under the same rules that apply to brick and mortar stores. Those licenses remain active until a business is sold to new owners, or if it is closed for six months or more. Licenses cost $100.