A small Chicago Ridge business that serves shaved ice during the summer is open again after having its business license suspended by the village for nearly two weeks for failing to make sales tax payments.
Kevin Wright, the owner of Sensational Snow, had his license suspended July 24 after a hearing called by the village when it discovered that Wright had not been paying sales tax to the state or village nor the village’s food and beverage tax since the business opened in the summer of 2013.
Village Clerk George Schleyer said the village also found that Wright did not have a valid state tax identification number.
“The state of Illinois was unaware that he was even in business because there was no number,” he said.
Wright appeared Tuesday before the Village Board, apologizing for the tax delinquency as a “mistake” and saying he had resolved the issue by paying the state approximately $2,000 in unpaid tax and late fees and the village $243.
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“I haven’t had an issue with taxes like in this in my personal life or professional life ever,” Wright said.
He told trustees that he had a state tax ID number, but it was automatically withdrawn by the state after he failed to pay the sales tax.
“I really just would like to have my license reinstated,” Wright said. “… I’m anxious to get things going again. And my main concern is not for me, it’s really just for my customers.”
Trustees approved reinstating the business license temporarily by a 4-2 vote, with trustees Bruce Quintos and Frances Coglianese opposing the reinstatement, which has the condition that Sensational Snow be inspected for compliance with all village codes.
The overdue tax payments came to light when Wright attempted to get village approval to expand his shaved-ice stand into a larger structure. In researching his business and the request, village staff discovered the tax problem and the Village Board denied the request. Wright said last week that he still hoped to expand his business.
Also last week, the Village Board agreed to remove the requirement that village and police department clerical staff reside in Chicago Ridge. Trustees tied with a 3-3 vote, and Mayor Charles Tokar cast the deciding vote.
The clerical staffs had filed a grievance regarding the residency policy.
Quintos, Coglianese and Trustee Sally Durkin opposed waiving the rule, with Quintos saying “for these jobs, we have plenty of qualified candidates right in our village.”
Tokar said the residency requirement is outdated and no longer necessary.
“It’s not as if anyone is opposed to hiring (within) Chicago Ridge,” he said.
As a condition of the residency rule being waived, the terms of the clerical staff’s labor contract are being extended from 2017 to 2020, though the mayor clarified that wages and health insurance would still have to be negotiated each year.
David Lipowski is a freelance reporter.