November 25, 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. 🙂

Banner
Related Posts

Email billing to start next month for sewer

July 28, 2022

July 28, 2022

Starting next month St. Joseph residents can get their sewer bills in their email. The paperwork to sign up is...

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...

Brush pickup to be suspended for May

April 24, 2019

April 24, 2019

Brush pickup is being suspended within the village of St. Joseph. Buildings and Grounds Chairperson Roy McCarty said the village...

Sewer rates set to increase

April 23, 2019

April 23, 2019

Soon St. Joseph residents will receive a postcard in their mailbox. The postcard will explain the upcoming sewer rate increase....

Mayor urges residents to think about neighbors and loved ones during pandemic

November 25, 2020

November 25, 2020

St. Joseph Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges is encouraging residents to wear their masks. Fruhling-Voges told village board members that a resident...

St. Joseph addresses brush pickup

May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019

The Village of St. Joseph is suspending brush pick up for a second month in a row. The wet Spring...

Chittick Eye Care to open in early March

February 24, 2020

February 24, 2020

Chittick Eye Care will open its ninth clinic in downtown St. Joseph in early March. The clinic will be staffed...

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...

Hometown appeal: The Wheelhouse earns Business of the Year honors

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

When the Wheelhouse opened in 2017, it was unlike anything in St. Joseph. And still is. The farm-to-table restaurant owned...

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...

Live at St. Joseph Village, Jan. 10, 2023

January 10, 2023

January 10, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Discussing bills. Art has some questions about the bills. Discussing Sterling...

Village Gardeners to kick off season Monday

April 12, 2019

April 12, 2019

On Monday, the St. Joseph Village Gardners are kicking off their 2019 season. Member Samuel Furrer said the group’s first...

Acklin named acting mayor of Ogden

November 3, 2023

November 3, 2023

Jim Acklin is the acting mayor of Ogden. Acklin was selected at the Nov. 2 meeting by the Ogden Village...

Talk of the Town….. with Gabe Clements

September 5, 2019

September 5, 2019

Every week we ask a village trustee, mayor, school board member or administrator three questions. This week we talked to...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, July 13

July 13, 2021

July 13, 2021

SO not only am I late to village board because #dancemom I am also outside typing this on the hood...

Comments
Leave a Reply