ROCHELLE — At its monthly meeting Monday, the Rochelle City Council unanimously approved a special use permit for a new childcare center planned for 450 Coronado Drive in Rochelle.

The location is currently a vacant building which was previously a medical facility and has been vacant for a few years. On Monday, May 5, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing and voted 6-0 to approve the special use permit for it to go on to the city council.

City Community Development Director Michelle Pease said a developer is in the process of closing on the property.

"This is an established childcare center in Sycamore named Mother's Little Helper Learning Center," Pease said. "The owner has seen a need for it here in Rochelle. It's just south of the Walmart facility."

The daycare would be the second of its kind in Rochelle. Little Hubs Learning Center is located at 1010 N. 15th St. and opened in town in early 2023. Prior to that, Rochelle had been without a daycare since 2020 when Kishwaukee Family YMCA Child Care Center closed at the same location.

"From what I've heard, the existing facility is pretty full," Mayor John Bearrows said. "So I think this is a great thing. I've heard the stories about working folks that drive to Rockford to drop their kids off at daycare and then drive back to Rochelle or DeKalb to work. This will be a great addition."

Tax

The council unanimously approved the implementation of a .25 percent increase in non-home rule sales tax in response to the state’s elimination of a one percent local grocery tax that previously benefited the city at the beginning of 2026.

The grocery tax applied to food intended for off-premise consumption, such as groceries purchased for home use. It did not apply to take-out meals, alcohol, candy, or soft drinks.  Non-home rule sales tax does not apply to as many items as the grocery tax does. It does not apply to groceries, prescription drugs or large items like vehicles.

To offset the impact of the change, the state granted non-home rule communities like Rochelle the authority to implement their own local grocery tax of up to one percent. Additionally, communities may raise their non-home rule sales tax, provided the total does not exceed one percent.

The elimination of the state grocery tax will result in an estimated $320,000 annual loss to the city’s general fund, which supports services such as public safety, public works, community development and capital improvement projects (CIP).

Based on last year’s data, the new non-home rule sales tax is projected to generate between $350,000 and $500,000 annually. Revenues must be allocated for infrastructure-related purposes. Half of the new revenue will be transferred to the general fund to support salaries and benefits for public works and engineering personnel. The remaining half will be directed to the CIP fund for infrastructure improvements.

City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Monday the city will continue working toward stabilizing its portion of the property tax levy at its current rate of $0.92 per $100 of assessed valuation, with the goal of reducing the rate to $0.90 or lower by 2028. 

Rochelle's combined sales tax rate, including all taxing bodies, will be 7.25 percent, below that of neighboring communities such as Rockford and DeKalb.

RACF

Rochelle Area Community Foundation Executive Director Emily Anaya made a presentation on the RACF Employee Giving Campaign that city staff has been taking part in during recent years.

City employees have raised over $100,000 for RACF causes through payroll deduction. The Rochelle-area charitable organization recently marked 20 years in operation and $1.3 million in reinvestment into the community.

"Over the years, our partnership with the city has been nothing short of inspiring," Anaya said. "This is a powerful testament to your shared belief in the strength of this community and your commitment to giving back."

Proclamations

Bearrows read two proclamations during the meeting. The first was in honor of National Police Week (May 11-17) that was presented to Rochelle Police Department Chief Pete Pavia and RPD officers. The second was in honor of National Public Works Week (May 18-24) and was presented to Street Department Superintendent Tim Isley.