June 5, 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

Ogden reminds residents to use Recycling Dumpster responsibly

April 11, 2019

April 11, 2019

The Ogden Village Board is reminding people that the Ogden Recycling Center is not a garbage dump. Yesterday the village...

Village accepting bids for Boy Scout building

August 5, 2022

August 5, 2022

A piece of St. Joseph history will be sold. The village board is moving forward with selling the “Boy Scout...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 28

November 28, 2023

November 28, 2023

I am a little late. But I am here now. Discussing how Middle School Cross Country would like a Cross...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board

May 25, 2021

May 25, 2021

Jim Wagner is running IT tonight. The new lawyer is here. Marc Miller. #somanychanges Bill time. Apparently Spring Green took...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board July 12, 2022

July 12, 2022

July 12, 2022

Jim Page, Synthia Snydor, Tracy Sharp, Craig Harper and Mike Voges are here with the usual crew. MX electric sponsors...

Remembering B.J. Hackler: ‘He made people smile’

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

B.J. Hackler liked to stay busy. He belonged to the St. Joseph Tea-Totalers, a group of residents who meet in...

Ogden Village Board to discuss recycling tonight

June 6, 2019

June 6, 2019

The Ogden Village Board discussed recycling again in May and will do so again tonight at their June meeting. In...

Improvements coming to rail trail

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

Improvements to the Kickapoo Rail Trail will be starting in September. With the assistance of the Illinois Department of Transportation...

Mondays with the Mayor… Ray Cunningham

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

Every Monday we will ask a Mayor from an area village to answer three questions. This week it is Homer...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, July 11, 2023

July 11, 2023

July 11, 2023

Jim Wagner is not here. Jeff Van Buskirk’s seat isn’t filled yet. They approved the minutes, bills, treasuer’s report. An...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Sept. 14, 2021

September 14, 2021

September 14, 2021

I am here.. It’s just me in the audience. Meeting is being run by Terri Cummings. We are moving right...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

I am going to be honest. I am watching on Youtube because I have the plague and am trying not...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board Feb. 22.2022

February 22, 2022

February 22, 2022

Discussing the proposed location of Philo Bank. Max Painter saying the lot has been vacant for a long time. Tami...

Process for filling vacant trustee position up to the mayor

September 11, 2023

September 11, 2023

How a vacant trustee position is filled is up to the mayor’s discretion, said Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges. Fruhling-Voges had seven...

Girl Scouts plan for Community Christmas Tree

April 24, 2024

April 24, 2024

Girl Scout Troop 2191 wants to make Christmas a little more merry in St. Joseph.  The troop presented the village...

Comments
Leave a Reply