Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Belleville News-Democrat.
The mayor of Washington Park learned over a year ago the village was awarded a $600,000 state grant to help replace the municipal building that burned down, but state officials have declined to say why the funds have not yet been delivered.
The municipal building, which housed the village’s police, fire and public works departments on Forest Avenue, was destroyed in a fire in October 2021. The fire also destroyed records and equipment.
A Metro East lawmaker has criticized the state for a “lack of clarity” in explaining why the village is still waiting for a check.
“Part of the problem we are facing in this situation is the lack of a definitive answer,” state Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt, said in a statement about the status of the grant.
“The lack of clarity continues to be a source of frustration throughout this entire process. My goal from the very beginning has been to get the money promised to Washington Park secured. At every turn I have encountered more problems and more non-answers to my questions but I remain hopeful we can get the grant money to Washington Park and the community can start to rebuild their municipal building.”
Schmidt, who defeated former state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, in November, represents District 114, which includes part of Washington Park.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, represents District 113, which also includes part of Washington Park. Hoffman could not be reached for comment about the Washington Park Grant despite the multiple messages that were left with his office by the BND.
The grant details
A $600,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity was included in the state budget signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in April 2022.
Washington Park Mayor Leonard Moore declined to comment on the status of the village’s grant application. In early 2022 before the budget was approved, he urged state officialsto help the village.
A spokesman for Pritzker referred questions about the grant to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity declined to release details about why the grant has not been given to Washington Park but said the agency is working with Washington Park officials on the grant.
When the Belleville News-Democrat asked agency spokeswoman Eliza Glezer for information about the grant, she sent this statement:
“One of DCEO’s highest priorities is to support communities across the state through grant programs and other resources. The grant funding for Washington Park has been ready and available, and DCEO will continue to coordinate with and support the Village as they work to submit the required grant application materials in order to receive the funding.”
Pressed for more information about the “required grant application materials” and a time frame for when the grant would be processed, Glezer sent another statement:
“DCEO continues to work closely with the Washington Park community on their grant materials and as a matter of process, while the application remains ongoing the department does not have additional information to share at this time.”
Bill would help cities with records destroyed in fire
Schmidt said he is concerned about the “public safety” of Washington Park residents since the burned building housed police and firefighter equipment.
Village officials have previously said the fire department was leaving vehicles with a local trucking contractor and the police department had been meeting at the Washington Park Senior Citizen’s Hall.
But as part of his effort to help Washington Park, Schmidt said he introduced a bill that would allow officials from Illinois cities and towns to go before an unpaid review panel of five auditors if they had been rejected for a state grant because municipal financial records had been destroyed in a disaster or by the misconduct of an employee. If a majority of the board approved a city’s appeal, the grant would be approved.
State records show the proposal, known as House Bill 2341, was filed by Schmidt on Feb. 14 and passed the State Government Administration Committee by a 9-0 vote on March 22. It was later referred to the Rules Committee.
Since the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has not said what type of information the agency still needs from Washington Park and the application process is still continuing, it was not immediately clear if Schmidt’s bill could directly help Washington Park in the application for the $600,000 grant.
Schmidt, a Republican, said the bill has bipartisan support but he has not received an explanation from House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat, as to why the bill was not called for a vote before the entire House.
Welch could not be reached for comment after multiple messages were left with his office by the BND.
The bill has 49 co-sponsors, with 26 Republicans and 23 Democrats. Hoffman is not one of the co-sponsors.
Mike Koziatek is a reporter with the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
