December 21, 2025 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. πŸ™‚

Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Doing the consent agenda. Basically, they approve the minutes, ect. all...

Live at the St. Joseph Village TIF public meeting

April 15, 2025

April 15, 2025

I am here so you don’t have to be. Nothing is being voted on today. It’s a public comment type...

Community members attend board meeting to support Assistant Public Works Director

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

On April 29, dozens of people attended a village board meeting and signed up to praise a village employeeβ€”Luke Fisher....

St. Joseph Village Board, Sept. 26, 2023

September 26, 2023

September 26, 2023

You can watch on Youtube. Public comment:Dana Dow lives on Douglas.β€œI had a neighbors tree, dead, refuse to take it...

‘It’s probably the biggest event, the biggest natural disaster we have had’

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2023

Assistant Public Works Director Luke Fisher has never seen anything like it. β€œIt’s probably the biggest event, the biggest natural...

Recycling returns to Ogden

July 11, 2019

July 11, 2019

Recycling is coming back to Ogden. At the July 11 meeting, the village board voted to return the recycling Dumpster...

Village to use larger tree for community Christmas tree

November 26, 2024

November 26, 2024

St. Joseph Girl Scout Troop 2191 is disappointed. The Troop was recently made aware that the community tree they fundraised...

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...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

This should be a short meeting. #Yesijustjinxedit On the agenda tonight: the never ending discussion about the public works storage...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Oct. 11, 2022

October 11, 2022

October 11, 2022

We are live at village board. The news everyone is waiting for. Halloween Trick or Treat hours are Oct. 31...

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, June 28, 2022

June 28, 2022

June 28, 2022

I am here early and we are discussing the lines to vote today. Today at 5 p.m. there was a...

Ogden mayor resigns effective Nov. 1

October 26, 2023

October 26, 2023

Gabe Clements has resigned as the mayor of Ogden effective Nov. 1. ,In his resignation letter to the Village Board,...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Feb. 14, 2023

February 14, 2023

February 14, 2023

Happy Valentines Day. I was two minutes late and we are already done with the investments. Wes Taylor is here....

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, September 27

September 27, 2022

September 27, 2022

I am here so you don’t have to be. MX electric sponsors our live blogs. SO if you have an...

Comments
Leave a Reply