By: Diane Benjamin
https://illinoisroute66.org/2026/09/mclean-county-visitor-spending-reaches-549-million-in-2025
Celebrating? Excerpt from that story:
The report found that direct visitor activity in McLean County supported 4,006 jobs, generated $124.4 million in labor income and produced $41 million in state tax revenue and $15.8 million in local tax revenue in 2025. McLean County’s 5.8% increase outpaced Illinois’ statewide visitor-spending growth of 3.5%.
Florida has no State income tax because of all the tourists. The difference between Florida and Illinois is WHO is drawing visitors. Huge companies like Disney know people flock to Florida for the weather, beaches, and entertainment. That entertainment is their money – invested because they know what people want.
The above link and others claim local things like sporting and other events draw visitors. Are those privately built?
Coliseum? BCPA? Children’s Discovery Museum? Miller Park Zoo? McLean County History Museum? Uptown events? David Davis Mansion?
Local tax revenue from visitors was estimated locally at $15.8 million. How much of that went to subsidize all of the above government owned venues?
The Coliseum has revenue, it doesn’t come close to breaking even. https://blnnews.com/2026/09/17/entertainment/
Of course no one has ever examined what that list costs you. Since taxes continue to increase because there is never enough money for government, you are paying for what government deems Tourism Economics.
Both Bloomington and Normal think you want government entertainment. They never tell you the private sector entertainments that have been erased because government decided entertainment was their job. If the taxpayer subsidies end the list above will cease to exist.
Prosperity is never created by government. People haven’t moved to Florida in droves by accident.
Illinois not only taxes you to death, they prevent success:
I would suggest taxing the “visitor economy” sites more (some entertainment sales tax, similar to the higher hotel and restaurant sales taxes in normal) , and then lowering property taxes for locals who live here, but we all know the government will just keep property taxes the same (or increase) and then take the new visitor tax revenue and spend it on some permanent government program/grant/handout.
Just like how the school sales tax got sold as a way to “lower” property taxes, but we all got property tax hikes anyways, to go along with everything we buy in town costing more money via the higher sales tax.
Can’t win. The program is out of control spending, and the politicians know only 20% of voters come out for the consolidated April elections, so they keep just bullying us around.
Run for city council. Run for school board. Petition signatures to run are due in October and November.
Bloomington charges 4% entertainment tax they keep from their venues.