Meeting Summary and Briefs: Washington Township Board of Trustees for March 2, 2026

Washington Township Board of Trustees Meeting | March 2, 2026

The Washington Township Board of Trustees met on March 2, 2026, handling a brief but financially significant agenda. Alongside authorizing nearly $87,500 in monthly bills and debating a $250,000 future plow truck purchase, the board took a firm stance against Earthrise Energy’s proposed 2,400-acre solar farm. While vehemently opposed to the zoning variances requested by the solar company, trustees acknowledged the political reality of the state’s clean energy push and directed their highway commissioner to gather specific details on what road repair incentives Earthrise might provide the township.

Intergovernmental Agreement Approved with Crete Township:
The board unanimously approved the “Intergovernmental Agreement Between Crete Township And Washington Township For Shared Software & Payroll Services.” The agreement formally splits the cost of QuickBooks accounting software equally between the two neighboring townships. Trustee Mark Herlitz made the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Tracy Heldt and passed without discussion. Township bill records show Washington Township paid Crete Township $3,590.01 in February for the subscription share.

Board Maintains Secrecy on Past Closed Session Minutes:
Following a routine statutory review of unreleased executive session records, the board determined that multiple sets of historical closed-door meeting minutes will remain shielded from public view. Trustee Herlitz motioned to keep the closed session minutes dated March 23, 2010; January 7, 2013; July 1, 2013; February 3, 2014; January 4, 2016; and July 7, 2025, closed to the public. The motion was unanimously approved by a voice vote.

Meeting Calendar and Annual Town Meeting Set:
Trustees unanimously approved the schedule for the 2026-2027 fiscal year meeting dates, maintaining their standard protocol of meeting on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., with exceptions for holidays (e.g., Wednesday, Sept 2, 2026). Additionally, the board approved the agenda for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting, which is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. No agenda items were requested by the public for the annual town meeting.

FOIA Request Targets Attorney Invoices:
Clerk Joe Burgess informed the board in his written report that the township received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from a news reporter representing “Judiciocracy” LLC and an affiliate organization called the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy. The organizations are requesting copies of all invoices from the township’s attorney for a specific time period. Burgess noted he sent the request to the township’s attorney for clarification and learned the identical FOIA request has been sent to multiple government entities across Illinois.

Property Tax Exemption Assistance Announced:
Assessor Patricia Peters presented a new pamphlet to the board detailing property tax exemptions, which she plans to distribute to residents and have available at upcoming community events. The county will begin mailing exemption letters to qualified residents around April 10. To assist locals, Will County’s Annual “Tax Exemption” event will be hosted at the Washington Township Center on May 28.