May 22, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board

The Champaign County Forest Preserve is here to ask the board to endorse their tax increase.

Meeting to start in six minutes.

Oh wait, they are going to start early. #notillegal #dont@me

Terri Cummings saying the sports complex repaving looks really nice. #itdoes #mykidsevencommentedonit

Painter and Davis are on Zoom.

Sarah and Mary Ellen from the CCFPD are here to talk to us. Basically, on Nov. 3 they are asking for a limiting rate increase of .016 percent on the Forest Preserve’s property tax levy.

There are 4,000 acres in the forest preserves.

The rate has remained unchanged for 40 years. (WOW)

The increase will yield $700,000 yearly for improvements and operating expenses.

With the referendum, they would be able to restore Middle Fork’s Willow Pond, improve the Homer Lake Interpretive Center, Replace the roof on the covered bridge at Lake of the Woods, repair the dam and spillway at Lake of the Woods and Homer lake, upgrade the public bathrooms, improve bike paths and trails and create more nature and history connections through children’s programming. #funfactmattandigotmarriedatHomerlake

If it fails they will have to forego needed repairs across all sites, close unsafe and deteriorating facilities and structures, cut some programs and events and raise fees on others, delay restroom, trail, playground updates and shrink the budget for equipment, staffing and tech needs.

During the quarantine, my family visited ALL the forest preserves in Champaign County. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you take a drive and see what great facilities, parks and trails we have at our disposal.

Asking for an endorsement for the tax increase from the board.

Art is pressing them on their finances. “With the progressive tax on the ballot, it may be difficult.”

Tami saying the forest preserves and the Rail Trail are an asset to the town.

The trustees saying it’s a “no brainer” to support the tax increase and are making a motion to endorse it.

Matt Silver resigned from Planning and Zoning due to work obligations. Brian Knight has been recommended to take his place.

Tami is sharing things with the board-I think it’s emails that are complaints but she said she’s not going to go into details.


The finance committee has been meeting a lot in August, said Cummings. The last meeting was on Aug. 19 and Steve Carter for the Illinois City and County management association came to share info when considering hiring a village administrator. They are discussing having an interim village administrator so they can have a broad search which can take six months. They want staff, trustees, ect. and community members to weigh in.

Tami saying she sees the value in having an interim position.

They currently have an ordinance that I think was written when BJ was mayor so it’s obviously going to have to be redone.

I am interested to see if the village actually has enough work for a village administrator. I used to cover a town that had one and, at least in that instance, it made the mayor role basically obsolete because the administrator was actually running things. When they get the job description done I will get a copy and see what they envision the role to be.

Buildings and grounds, sewer have nothing.

Luke and Mike are down on Lincoln Street dealing with the split tree.

There will be a presentation service sign for Dustin Leemon on SEPT. 6, a 33-year-old Afghanistan war veteran. He will be back over the labor day weekend. It will be at the sports complex. 6 p.m. at the Veteran Memorial Monument.

The school board has signed on to the agreement to finally end the drainage tile saga. #FINALLY #LOOKINGUP But now there are some issues with the daycare and Abbetfield. #OHNO

Meeting is over. 🙂

Banner
Related Posts

Live Blog, St. Joseph Village Board May 11, 2021

May 11, 2021

May 11, 2021

We are here at village board. Van Buskirk is absent as is Davis. Rapp, Cummings, Painter and Wagner are here...

Haan hopes to help Ogden grow

March 31, 2021

March 31, 2021

Jim Haan wants to help Ogden grow.  “Ogden is a safe, affordable, and friendly town and I want to keep...

Village hires administrator

June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021

The Village of St. Joseph has its administrator.During its June 22 meeting the village board voted to hire Joseph Hackney....

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Feb. 13, 2024

February 13, 2024

February 13, 2024

I am two minutes late and we are knee-deep in sewer rates. I am just going to leave this story...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 9, 2021

November 9, 2021

November 9, 2021

I am here at village board. Terri Cummings, Jeff Van Buskirk are not here. Wagner is on zoom. The Hitts...

Mayor discusses administrators pay increase

December 18, 2024

December 18, 2024

The Village Administrator of St. Joseph is getting a raise. The annual salary for the position will be increased to...

Registration open for electronics recycling event

September 9, 2019

September 9, 2019

Residents in St. Joseph, Homer, Royal, Ogden and unincorporated Champaign County can now register for the county-wide electronic recycling event....

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, April 23, 2024

April 23, 2024

April 23, 2024

Presentation on a potential community building.Todd Hitt and Jim Page In 2018-19 Tami and Jim Page put together a group...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, June 8 2021

June 8, 2021

June 8, 2021

I am live with my closest 20 plus friends here at St. Joseph Village Board. Jumping right into WCIA. “Due...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board March 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

We are here. This could be a pretty amazing meeting. LIQUOR LICENSE TIME. We are moving the agenda around so...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

Pickleball and Tennis are here tonight. PB nets got damaged over the winter. PB Is asking where they see PB...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Oct. 10, 2023

October 10, 2023

October 10, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Don’t forget you can watch the board meeting on Youtube here....

Village asking for feedback on liquor license

January 25, 2021

January 25, 2021

The Village of St. Joseph is asking residents for feedback regarding a proposed new liquor license. During a Jan. 18...

Live at Ogden Village Board April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

The board paid some bills and decided to appoint Dekoda Burris to the zoning board of appeals. Discussing the hold...

‘Julie has been the backbone of this village for a long time’

December 28, 2021

December 28, 2021

Julie Hendrickson loves St. Joseph. And a piece of the small town’s footprint will soon step away from a long-time...

Comments
Leave a Reply