Tami Fruhling-Voges has announced she will not be running for re-election as Mayor of St. Joseph.
“I am ready to prioritize some other things in my life,” Fruhling-Voges said. “It’s time. My husband is wanting to do some traveling. I have some great nieces and nephews that I would love to spend some time with.”
Fruhling-Voges has served the village, in one way or another, for more than 20 years. First as a village board member and then as mayor.
Fruhling-Voges said she has a lot of things she wants to accomplish before her term ends in May 2025, including helping to elect the man she is endorsing to be her successor—Jim Page.
Fruhling-Voges said the decision to not run for reelection was a difficult one, one made easier when Page told her he was considering running for mayor.
Fruhling-Voges said Page has all of the characteristics required to be a great mayor.
“We have some big projects going on and we need someone who understands how that all works and can work with the employees,” Fruhling-Voges said. “I feel like it will be in great capable hands.”
Page has a bachelor’s degree Police Science and Administration, a master’s degree in Public Administration and completed the FBI’s National Academy. He worked for 27 years at the Urbana Police Department before working for 18 years as the executive director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) where thousands of first responders train in advanced state and federal public safety curriculums. After leaving ILEAS he was then the chair of the Illinois Homeland Security Advisory Council. Between ILEAS and HSAC, Page oversaw the investment and management of nearly $500 million in Federal and State homeland security grants and budgets. He is the President of the St Joseph Recreation Foundation.
Page said he had been thinking about running for mayor for a while.
“A lot of people have been reaching out to me and saying if Tami doesn’t run will you,” Page said. “St. Joseph has been good to us we raised three kids and they went through all the schools. I feel like I have a lot to offer.”
Page said he is not looking to come in and make a ton of changes right away. Instead, he wants to provide a professional and mature management style while helping the village grow modestly. He also wants to help the village obtain grant funding for some projects.
“The leadership experience that he brings to keep moving the ball forward on different things is invaluable,” Fruhling-Voges said. “I just think he will do a good job.”
Page said he and Fruhling-Voges are both in a transitional place in their lives.
“After 20 years it’s time for her to have a life,” Page said. “And me— I can’t just sit at home. I have to help the community. I have a lot to give and want to maintain St. Joseph as a great place to live.”
Page said his wife, Angela, who is a current board member will not be running for re-election.
Angela was a big reason why Jim decided to run.
Angela’s experience on the Board led her to believe he would be a good fit.
Jim said his three priorities as mayor would be to meet with the staff and learn the ins and outs of their jobs, what their complaints are and what they think works well.
“I’m not a micromanager,” he said.
He then wants to get his head wrapped around the big budget capital projects the village has going on, including the sewer plant upgrade. He also wants to help the village grow and build relationships with other governmental agencies.
Page said that also includes working with a village administrator. He said he doesn’t believe the general public knows how much a village administrator does.
“We need to educate them on how valuable that is,” he said. “I am a fan of the village administrator position. The legal system and the bureaucratic system in today’s world requires that someone knowledgeable is paying attention to that stuff.”
Fruhling- Voges said while it will be hard to walk away from serving the village she loves, she knows it is time.
“If you devote 20 years of your life into anything, it is the hardest thing to let go and let someone else take it over because you worked hard to get it where it was at,” she said.
Fruhling-Voges said someone serving as mayor without any experience in a governmental role would be disastrous for the village.
“You want someone who is capable. That is a huge factor,” she said. “My family would have supported me either way. But I finally said the words I am not running because Jim is taking over, my husband was pretty happy.”
The Republican and Democratic Caucuses will be held the first Monday in December. The winners of the Caucuses will then be on the ballot for the April 1, 2025 election. Fruhling-Voges’ successor will be sworn in at the May 2025 meeting.
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