Darien Mayor Answers 'Sarcastic' Comments

DARIEN, IL — Darien Mayor Joseph Marchese this week defended the allocation of money to help local restaurants and bars during the pandemic. He said he was responding to "naysayers."

Last spring, the City Council authorized the spending of up to $310,000 in food and beverage tax money to help restaurants to reopen to full service when the governor lifted his executive order banning restaurant dining. The tax is collected from these businesses.

The city ended up allocating $298,000, which was later reimbursed with federal money to help towns deal with the pandemic, Marchese said. He said the city didn't know it would receive such a reimbursement when it decided to give the money.

Earlier this month, the council voted to spend $106,000 in food and beverage tax money to help restaurants equip for outdoor dining in cold weather with things such as tents, heaters and tables. Of the nearly 50 restaurants and bars in Darien, 14 were eligible, Marchese said. That money could be reimbursed as well, he said.

See video of Mayor Joseph Marchese's remarks in response to "naysayers."

With the 1.25 percent food and beverage tax, the city generates $600,000 a year, in addition to sales taxes, the mayor said.

Sales taxes, he said, do a "great deal in supporting the programs we have on a day-to-day basis."

"That doesn't diminish what taxpayers pay — what taxpayers pay pays for our police pension fund," Marchese said at Monday's City Council meeting.

The food and beverage tax money, he said, was "well spent to ensure that these restaurants and bars that produce so much revenue for the city of Darien don't go by the wayside."

One restaurant, Steak 'n Shake, closed for good after the pandemic began.

The mayor concluded his remarks by saying, "So I hope that answers the naysayers who sarcastically make comments that we are giving away taxpayers' money. That's not true. We gave the money back to the businesses who paid this money."

Alderman Tom Chlystek said another reason for giving the money to restaurants and bars was unmentioned.

"Darien residents also work at these restaurants, so we're also helping save jobs in the city of Darien," he said. "It keeps jobs right here."