Rock Island Today

Businesses in Moline have been dealing with some confused customers after a sales tax increase recently went into effect.

Chris Panouses, the owner of Uncle Pete’s, a Greek restaurant in business for 30 years, said he has tried to clarify things by posting a laminated copy of tax details from the city’s website. 

“There was a little confusion in the beginning why, because people’s food would come up, and they would say, ‘This is not what I paid last time,’” Panouses told the Rock Island Today. “When some people get the same thing for five or 10 years and it is a percent more, they know that something is wrong here.”

The 1 percent increase brings the sales tax to 10 percent in Moline, but it took people by surprise, Panouses said.

“I would say that most people were not aware of it," he said. "I could just tell from the customers' reaction.”

He said he has heard that some other restaurants have also posted signs about the tax increase.

“I don’t know if they did it to the point that I did it, where I’ve printed out a page from the city of Moline’s website, but I know some restaurants have something on their registers or their doors about the increase on July 1," Panouses said. “You put the ball back in the court of the city of Moline."

The tax increase is expected to bring in an additional $3.8 million a year. 

The local school board has already started discussing what to do with the money, which includes modernization of the Moline High School building.

Panouses said people are trying to live with the higher cost.

“Whether it is sales tax or property taxes, (they) are going up and up, and it is something – not that we accept it – but we have been dealing with it for years,” he said.