Illinois is taxing itself out of business...stop it!!!
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
This tax is not supportive of small business, which is the majority employer in our country. C'mon Joe Berrios, this is archaic thinking...
T
TONYA LITTLE
10 years ago
Please.save B&B in our Community
S
sherri ewing
10 years ago
Do not close or raise taxes on our bed and breakfast business.
M
Mary Riley
10 years ago
It would be a great loss to see Chicago's Bed and Breakfasts close due to the extremely high proposed tax increase. They are a lovely alternative to chain hotels and a real asset to your city. Please reconsider this plan . Such an extreme tax increase would force many if not all of them out of business.
E
Erickson Ocasio
10 years ago
We understand that you are not a supporter but since we are on the issue of taxes and raising our taxes.. I guess they decided to come after the rest with an increase in sales taxes and the current proposal of an increase on all property taxes.. I think if you are considering us as a commeercial business just like a hotel.. then everyone including people who shop and own in the city of Chicago to have their fair share of increases.. If you have no pity for us.. please remember when you get your tax bill remember what you wrote here.
K
Kapra Fleming
10 years ago
And glad you aren't a supporter, but by signing the petition you add your name to the list of supporters - so keep 'em coming!
K
Kapra Fleming
10 years ago
That's all fine, but when the Deputy Assessor and even you state that it is all about FAIRNESS to Cook County Taxpayers and the person next door, why is Joe Berrios not including the 2000 - 5000 Airbnb hosts, who are doing the same thing - only on an unlicensed, illegal basis. Part of our complaint with the Berrios is that this is unfair taxation on a small group of licensed businesses that is not being enforced FAIRLY., Berrios is also not concerned or taxing any of the 113 licensed Vacation Rental properties that are not allowed to be owner-occupied, by City of Chicago ordinance and are still at a 10% tax class. If anyone falls into a different class, it is these Vacation rental Apartment properties. Funeral homes are taxed at 10% even if they make up to $3M in revenue annually and they have a commercial aspect (funeral home) and a residential unit and are owner-occupied. SROs and transient hotels are taxed in the 2 and 3 classes and are commercial entities, also. Landlords with buildings with 7 or more units are also in 10% classes. So if absolutely every small business owner, who lived in their building and had what is often called a "Ma and Pa" shop on the first floor were taxed at 25% then the Assessor could say that what they are doing is FAIR. But it is not. We are not Wrigley Field. We can't have restaurants in our residentially-zoned buildings. We can't put out sidewalk cafes, serve liquor or sell tickets to a local ball game that is in view of our roof lines. We are no different than thousands of other properties in Cook County that are classed as 2-12 a mixed use Residential/Commercial property and taxed at 10% without expensive appeals and reports required to appeal. This is politically motivated and not about fairness.
http://www.electjoeberrios.com/view.php?idnum=8&category=press
D
Donald S.
10 years ago
I am not a supporter. “Family and friends” sounds nice, but – please -- B&Bs work pretty much the same was as hotels and motels: they rent to anyone who can pay.
According to documents on the Internet, the B&Bs already pay City of Chicago, Oak Park and State of IL hotel/motel taxes. “Residential” real estate doesn’t do that.
How do the B&B owners explain their point of view to the single family homeowner next door? He or she doesn’t rent out his rooms.
We’re not talking about families renting one room to a religious retreat person each summer. The B&Bs are businesses.
Let’s be honest. For years these properties/buildings got a pass when they were wrongly assessed as if they simply were houses. They are obviously so much more than that. They are businesses.
K
Kapra Fleming
10 years ago
There were only 10 B&B owners at this referenced meeting representing 8 licensed B&Bs in the city - the lion's share of attendees were Deputy Assessors, mostly from the law division, who filled the room; the President of IHLA the head of IAR, a few members from local Chambers of Commerce and Oak Park and the Oak Park Assessor - all who were in support of the B&B industry in Cook County.
So if you are so righteous about getting your facts correct, you should know that there were not 25 BBs representatives at this meeting or 25 B&Bs represented AND don't forget that women-owned businesses are still considered minority-run businesses.
R
Rick Wright
10 years ago
My wife and I visited Chicago for the first time in mid-August this year. We stayed at both a hotel as well as a B&B (as we often do when travelling). With the proliferation of AirBNB I can not comprehend why the County wants to punish such a small number of business people. The B & B experience is one we truly enjoy and would have spent less time (and less money) if we were unable to book a B&B for the 6 days in Chicago. (We will not participate the AirBnB thing due to it's rules and regulations). Tax increases are rarely popular but this one seems to be the most misguided I have heard of. Even with the negative rate of exchange from Canada to US dollars the accommodations and personal service we received at the B& B was truly exceptional and rarely found even in high end hotels.
E
Erickson Ocasio
10 years ago
There are a few other minorites from what I see from the Bed & Breakfast association.. I suggest that you do more research on these B & B before you make assumptions about the owners of B & B's.
E
Erickson Ocasio
10 years ago
I am the owner of House 5863 and I happen to be Puerto Rican so i hope you were referring to my Bed & Breakfast. I am latino so that makes me a minority.
F
Frederick Spicer
10 years ago
I only "signed" this petition so I could comment after reading this ridiculous "story."
*The petition language says B&B owners are “mostly minorities.” Stop pandering with false claims of a racial burden. I came with the B&B owners to the assessor office meeting on 8/10/15. Only ONE of the 25 attendees was a minority.
*B&B assoc. president Kapra Fleming told the Tribune her property taxes will increase by “$3,000-$4,000 monthly ($36,000 to $48,000 per year).” I agree that might cripple a small business. However, it is false. My research and calculations show that figure is absolutely, wildly high. It appears to be scare tactic by the B&B owners.
*A majority of B&B owners in the room agreed they should not be assessed as residential real estate.
*A very vocal B&B owner at the assessor meeting prices her rooms at $350 per night. Her web site advertised $1,750 for all five rooms per night for Labor Day weekend. Residences don’t do that; businesses do.
*The assessor’s office isn’t referring to old ladies who rent a room to a college kid. The B&Bs are businesses. Rather than demonize government, why not hire some professionals/consultants and appraisers who work with these types of properties and have dialogue with the assessor’s people? BTW, I don't want them to hire me.
J
Jonnie Piggott
10 years ago
Leave businesses alone. Stop pushing business out of Chicago and OUT of Cook County!
Save
Illinois is taxing itself out of business...stop it!!!
This tax is not supportive of small business, which is the majority employer in our country. C'mon Joe Berrios, this is archaic thinking...
Please.save B&B in our Community
Do not close or raise taxes on our bed and breakfast business.
It would be a great loss to see Chicago's Bed and Breakfasts close due to the extremely high proposed tax increase. They are a lovely alternative to chain hotels and a real asset to your city. Please reconsider this plan . Such an extreme tax increase would force many if not all of them out of business.
We understand that you are not a supporter but since we are on the issue of taxes and raising our taxes.. I guess they decided to come after the rest with an increase in sales taxes and the current proposal of an increase on all property taxes.. I think if you are considering us as a commeercial business just like a hotel.. then everyone including people who shop and own in the city of Chicago to have their fair share of increases.. If you have no pity for us.. please remember when you get your tax bill remember what you wrote here.
And glad you aren't a supporter, but by signing the petition you add your name to the list of supporters - so keep 'em coming!
That's all fine, but when the Deputy Assessor and even you state that it is all about FAIRNESS to Cook County Taxpayers and the person next door, why is Joe Berrios not including the 2000 - 5000 Airbnb hosts, who are doing the same thing - only on an unlicensed, illegal basis. Part of our complaint with the Berrios is that this is unfair taxation on a small group of licensed businesses that is not being enforced FAIRLY., Berrios is also not concerned or taxing any of the 113 licensed Vacation Rental properties that are not allowed to be owner-occupied, by City of Chicago ordinance and are still at a 10% tax class. If anyone falls into a different class, it is these Vacation rental Apartment properties. Funeral homes are taxed at 10% even if they make up to $3M in revenue annually and they have a commercial aspect (funeral home) and a residential unit and are owner-occupied. SROs and transient hotels are taxed in the 2 and 3 classes and are commercial entities, also. Landlords with buildings with 7 or more units are also in 10% classes. So if absolutely every small business owner, who lived in their building and had what is often called a "Ma and Pa" shop on the first floor were taxed at 25% then the Assessor could say that what they are doing is FAIR. But it is not. We are not Wrigley Field. We can't have restaurants in our residentially-zoned buildings. We can't put out sidewalk cafes, serve liquor or sell tickets to a local ball game that is in view of our roof lines. We are no different than thousands of other properties in Cook County that are classed as 2-12 a mixed use Residential/Commercial property and taxed at 10% without expensive appeals and reports required to appeal. This is politically motivated and not about fairness. http://www.electjoeberrios.com/view.php?idnum=8&category=press
I am not a supporter. “Family and friends” sounds nice, but – please -- B&Bs work pretty much the same was as hotels and motels: they rent to anyone who can pay. According to documents on the Internet, the B&Bs already pay City of Chicago, Oak Park and State of IL hotel/motel taxes. “Residential” real estate doesn’t do that. How do the B&B owners explain their point of view to the single family homeowner next door? He or she doesn’t rent out his rooms. We’re not talking about families renting one room to a religious retreat person each summer. The B&Bs are businesses. Let’s be honest. For years these properties/buildings got a pass when they were wrongly assessed as if they simply were houses. They are obviously so much more than that. They are businesses.
There were only 10 B&B owners at this referenced meeting representing 8 licensed B&Bs in the city - the lion's share of attendees were Deputy Assessors, mostly from the law division, who filled the room; the President of IHLA the head of IAR, a few members from local Chambers of Commerce and Oak Park and the Oak Park Assessor - all who were in support of the B&B industry in Cook County. So if you are so righteous about getting your facts correct, you should know that there were not 25 BBs representatives at this meeting or 25 B&Bs represented AND don't forget that women-owned businesses are still considered minority-run businesses.
My wife and I visited Chicago for the first time in mid-August this year. We stayed at both a hotel as well as a B&B (as we often do when travelling). With the proliferation of AirBNB I can not comprehend why the County wants to punish such a small number of business people. The B & B experience is one we truly enjoy and would have spent less time (and less money) if we were unable to book a B&B for the 6 days in Chicago. (We will not participate the AirBnB thing due to it's rules and regulations). Tax increases are rarely popular but this one seems to be the most misguided I have heard of. Even with the negative rate of exchange from Canada to US dollars the accommodations and personal service we received at the B& B was truly exceptional and rarely found even in high end hotels.
There are a few other minorites from what I see from the Bed & Breakfast association.. I suggest that you do more research on these B & B before you make assumptions about the owners of B & B's.
I am the owner of House 5863 and I happen to be Puerto Rican so i hope you were referring to my Bed & Breakfast. I am latino so that makes me a minority.
I only "signed" this petition so I could comment after reading this ridiculous "story." *The petition language says B&B owners are “mostly minorities.” Stop pandering with false claims of a racial burden. I came with the B&B owners to the assessor office meeting on 8/10/15. Only ONE of the 25 attendees was a minority. *B&B assoc. president Kapra Fleming told the Tribune her property taxes will increase by “$3,000-$4,000 monthly ($36,000 to $48,000 per year).” I agree that might cripple a small business. However, it is false. My research and calculations show that figure is absolutely, wildly high. It appears to be scare tactic by the B&B owners. *A majority of B&B owners in the room agreed they should not be assessed as residential real estate. *A very vocal B&B owner at the assessor meeting prices her rooms at $350 per night. Her web site advertised $1,750 for all five rooms per night for Labor Day weekend. Residences don’t do that; businesses do. *The assessor’s office isn’t referring to old ladies who rent a room to a college kid. The B&Bs are businesses. Rather than demonize government, why not hire some professionals/consultants and appraisers who work with these types of properties and have dialogue with the assessor’s people? BTW, I don't want them to hire me.
Leave businesses alone. Stop pushing business out of Chicago and OUT of Cook County!
No No No Please Leave The B&B Alone!
No! We need the BnB's leave them alone!
This is a ridiculous tax increase.
You are a ass.