September 3, 2024 • 11 mins
Since our Village was incorporated in 1880, it held elections to determine who the decision makers in town would be. The local elections for Village Mayor and Trustees, Village Clerk, School Boards, Park, Fire and Library boards, will be Tuesday April 1, 2025! And candidates are already circulating petitions.
This municipal elections cycle, Mokena's Front Porch Podcast is going to be a resource for this local elections and attempt to bring you conversations with each candidate, whoever is willing.
I also provide a current update of which seats are up for election and who has already pulled petitions to run for office!
This is going to be an ongoing series throughout the April 1, 2025 election. If you are a candidate and want to schedule a time to talk, or if you have a real question you would like us to ask the candidates, you can email them to mokenasfrontporch@gmail.com.
I am looking forward to getting to know the candidates and I think you will too!
A full video version is available on our YouTube channel by clicking here!
And check out the Local Elections tab on our website for all things Mokena elections.
Be sure to check out our website @ www.MokenasFrontPorch.com
Follow Us On Facebook At Mokena's Front Porch
Check Out Our YouTube Channel For Some Great Videos
Find Matt's Blog here: Matt's Old Mokena
Photo & Artwork Credit: Jennifer Medema & Leslie V. Moore Jr.
Do you have a question, comment or maybe an idea for an episode, you can email us at:
MokenasFrontPorch@gmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Well, the election season is upon us, and no, I'm
not talking about the one inNovember.
I'm talking about the April 1st2025 local municipal elections
Because, as of Tuesday, august20th, candidates were able to
begin circulating theirpetitions in order to be placed
(00:32):
on the ballot in the April 1stelection.
Between now and November 12th,candidates will be circulating
petitions, coming around andasking you to sign your name and
address, and what that does isit just allows them to get their
name on the ballot.
It's not a vote for them, it'sjust saying you have the right
to be on the ballot andcandidates' petitions can start
(00:56):
to be turned in as of November12th through November 18th.
So why is Mokina's front porchgoing to be talking about the
local elections?
When we look at what affects us,property taxes have a huge
effect on all of us.
A $400,000 home in Mokina has aproperty tax bill of
approximately $10,800.
(01:18):
Our schools make up about 62%of that bill, with the village
and fire making about another15.5% of that bill.
Property taxes are the taxes wepay that we feel the most
benefit for as well as can hurtthe most.
The officials that we'll bevoting for on April 1st are the
(01:40):
ones that make decisions andvote on the everyday services
that we enjoy and appreciate, aswell as a lot of the ones that
make decisions and vote on theeveryday services that we enjoy
and appreciate, as well as a lotof the ones that we don't think
about.
Unfortunately, our village nolonger has a media, a newspaper
or anything other than the patchto report on the people that
(02:00):
are running and find out whothey are and the part they play
in our community, so this reallyleaves us limited opportunities
to really get to know somebodythat's running.
I really do believe that ifsomebody steps up and says
they're willing to run foroffice, that they should be
willing to talk and share aboutwhy they're running and why they
(02:22):
should be in that position, aswell as tell voters why they
should vote for them.
So, in thinking about theupcoming elections, I wanted to
look and see how could I usethis platform to better inform
the community and get to knowthe people that are running.
So I want to provide thatopportunity here.
(02:42):
Mokina's front porch will notbe a place where we gossip and
backbite and do those thingsabout the candidates that often
happen on social media anddifferent sites.
We're not going to be apolitical bash fest or gossip
fest.
We're going to be a place thatwe can get to know the
candidates, a place that we canget to know the candidates.
(03:05):
If you don't know somebodythat's running for one of the
boards, we want to be able topoint you to an interview where
we talk to them, get to know whothey are as people and why they
feel like they should run.
I want this to be a place toget to know the real person and
not just what somebody puts outon their social media.
This will be a work in progress, as I continue to figure out
how to do this, the best way andgive everybody a fair
(03:29):
opportunity to share theirmessage and talk about who they
are.
My plan is to invite everycandidate that decides to run
for office this election to sitdown and speak with me and share
some about themselves and aboutwhy they're running and why the
community should trust themwith their vote.
In fact, I'd like all thecandidates and those considering
(03:50):
running to think about this asan open invitation to start
scheduling and reaching out tome as well, to plan when we can
sit down and talk.
I'm sure, as a candidate,you'll appreciate the
opportunity to share yourmessage with the voters of
Mokina and I promise to be fairto each and every candidate.
(04:10):
This is Mokina's Front Porchand my intention of the podcast
was to share conversations likeyou would hear if you were
sitting next to me on my frontporch.
Local elections and the resultscan ring loud through a
community about the people thatdecide to run for office.
(04:31):
So with that, I want to sharewhere we're currently at with
the election.
As I said, august 20th was thefirst day that people could pull
petitions and I want to sharefirst the offices that are going
to be up for election on April1st.
Starting with the village ofMokena.
We have the mayor's positioncurrently, frank Fleischer.
(04:54):
We have three village trusteepositions.
Those are currently held byGeorge Matanias, melissa Fedora
and Rob Dauphineas.
Also up is village clerk,currently held by Melissa
Martini.
For the Mokena 159 schooldistrict, there are four
trustees up for election.
There are four trustees up forelection.
Those are currently held by JimAndreessen, anna Briscoe, eric
(05:17):
Bush, who's currently thepresident of the school board,
as well as Lisa Zielinski.
The Lincoln Way 210 High SchoolDistrict.
There are three board membersup for election Currently.
Those are held by Aaron Janik,who is the president of the
board?
Joe Kostick and Deidre Stokes.
(05:38):
There are three MokenaCommunity Park District
commissioners up for electionCurrently.
Those are held by Jeff Appel,mary Louise Knoser and Bob
Lindblom.
For the Mokena Library District, there are two trustee
positions up, currently held byElvin Kempf Jr and Marilyn
(05:59):
O'Rourke, and at the FrankfortTownship.
Those offices are up forelection this year and the
positions that are open at thetownship are the Frankfort
Township Supervisor, currentlyNick George the Clerk, who is
currently Nella Piccolin, theassessor Joe Kral.
Highway commissioner, currentlyBill Carlson.
(06:19):
The collector is currentlyElizabeth Burghardt.
And all four Frankfort Townshiptrustees are currently up.
Those seats are currently heldby trustees Kennedy Kott,
kurzweil and Smith.
Who has filed so far?
Who's gone in and requested apetition saying that they're
(06:41):
going to run for office?
Let's start with the LincolnWay High School District 210.
Joe Kostek, deidre Stokes andAaron Janik have all pulled
petitions.
Nobody else has pulledpetitions in that race.
For the Mokena 159 schooldistrict, the elementary school
district, the incumbents EricBush, jim Andreessen, anna
(07:03):
Briscoe and Lisa Zielinski allpulled petitions, as well as
Katie Carley, amanda Montgomeryand Lauren Doman At the village
of Mokena and this is as ofTuesday, august 27th, per a FOIA
request that I submitted.
The candidates so far that haverequested petitions to run for
(07:27):
office were George Matanias, danGilbert, josh Bailey, melissa
Fedora and Melissa Martini.
Now, these positions don't saywhich office they're pulling
petitions for, but, as GeorgeMetanius told us in our
interview with him, hisintention is to run for Mokina
(07:49):
mayor, so I would assume that heis running for Mokena mayor.
Melissa Martini is currentlythe Mokena village clerk, and so
it would seem clear that she isalso running for clerk again as
well, which leaves the threecandidates that would appear to
be running as trustees, withGeorge Matanias being Dan
(08:12):
Gilbert, josh Bailey and currentMokena village trustee Melissa
Fedora.
As you know, if you've watchedour interview with Mayor Frank
Fleischer, he told us there thathe does intend to run as well,
and so we would expect that wewould see his petitions being
pulled in the near future, orany other trustees that decide
(08:35):
to run as well.
I'm going to keep an updategoing of the township races, but
those are a little different.
It's a wider area and they dorun partisan, meaning Republican
and Democrat so it tends to bea little more straightforward.
Also, I did reach out to thepark district and requested a
FOIA of any buddy that hadrequested a FOIA of anybody that
(08:56):
had requested a park districtpetition.
As of Friday, august 23rd,there were no petitions that had
been pulled for MokenaCommunity Park District
candidates, so I'm requesting anupdate and as soon as I hear
anything from them, I willupdate, as well as keeping track
of any other candidates thatare deciding to run.
(09:17):
So I just want to tell you ifyou're thinking of running, now
is the time to do it.
So, as the mayor said in ourinterview, if you want to run,
do it.
Petition packets can be pickedup at the Park District or the
Village Hall, or if you want torun for school board, those are
even available online.
I'm going to have a separatetab on our website that will be
(09:38):
all election related news andvideos, and everything we do
will be put in one place, so youcan direct that to neighbors
and community members that don'tknow how they're going to vote
or who they're going to vote for.
We'll have likely a lot ofcontested races, which can make
it hard to know everybody that'srunning or involved, so we want
to help make that processeasier.
(10:00):
One way to do that would be foryou to subscribe to our YouTube
page, just going on YouTube,searching Mokina's Front Porch
and clicking subscribe, and makesure you follow our website as
well.
If you have any questions forthe candidates, I'd love to hear
those.
If you have questions forspecific races that you'd like
to hear, please specify whichrace it is school board, high
(10:25):
school, whatever it might be,and the question that you have
for them.
You can send those questions toMokinasFrontPorch at gmailcom
or you can go to our website andsend us a message at
MokinasFrontPorchcom and that'llkeep you updated on everything
Mokinas Front Porch, oneverything Mokina's front porch.
(10:46):
I hope this will be a greatresource to the community to be
able to learn more about thepeople that are running to make
good choices when we go to voteon election day.
You can mark your calendars nowfor April 1st 2025 to be sure
you get out and vote, becausethis is truly where your vote
counts.
So check out the rest of ourwebsite and the podcast and all
(11:08):
the great history stuff that weshare, but keep track of us for
this, because this matters andI'm glad that we can play a
small role in it.
So thanks for watching and wewill see you next time on
Mokina's Front Porch.
Well, the election season is upon us, and no, I'm
not talking about the one inNovember.
I'm talking about the April 1st2025 local municipal elections
Because, as of Tuesday, august20th, candidates were able to
begin circulating theirpetitions in order to be placed
(00:32):
on the ballot in the April 1stelection.
Between now and November 12th,candidates will be circulating
petitions, coming around andasking you to sign your name and
address, and what that does isit just allows them to get their
name on the ballot.
It's not a vote for them, it'sjust saying you have the right
to be on the ballot andcandidates' petitions can start
(00:56):
to be turned in as of November12th through November 18th.
So why is Mokina's front porchgoing to be talking about the
local elections?
When we look at what affects us,property taxes have a huge
effect on all of us.
A $400,000 home in Mokina has aproperty tax bill of
approximately $10,800.
(01:18):
Our schools make up about 62%of that bill, with the village
and fire making about another15.5% of that bill.
Property taxes are the taxes wepay that we feel the most
benefit for as well as can hurtthe most.
The officials that we'll bevoting for on April 1st are the
(01:40):
ones that make decisions andvote on the everyday services
that we enjoy and appreciate, aswell as a lot of the ones that
make decisions and vote on theeveryday services that we enjoy
and appreciate, as well as a lotof the ones that we don't think
about.
Unfortunately, our village nolonger has a media, a newspaper
or anything other than the patchto report on the people that
(02:00):
are running and find out whothey are and the part they play
in our community, so this reallyleaves us limited opportunities
to really get to know somebodythat's running.
I really do believe that ifsomebody steps up and says
they're willing to run foroffice, that they should be
willing to talk and share aboutwhy they're running and why they
(02:22):
should be in that position, aswell as tell voters why they
should vote for them.
So, in thinking about theupcoming elections, I wanted to
look and see how could I usethis platform to better inform
the community and get to knowthe people that are running.
So I want to provide thatopportunity here.
(02:42):
Mokina's front porch will notbe a place where we gossip and
backbite and do those thingsabout the candidates that often
happen on social media anddifferent sites.
We're not going to be apolitical bash fest or gossip
fest.
We're going to be a place thatwe can get to know the
candidates, a place that we canget to know the candidates.
(03:05):
If you don't know somebodythat's running for one of the
boards, we want to be able topoint you to an interview where
we talk to them, get to know whothey are as people and why they
feel like they should run.
I want this to be a place toget to know the real person and
not just what somebody puts outon their social media.
This will be a work in progress, as I continue to figure out
how to do this, the best way andgive everybody a fair
(03:29):
opportunity to share theirmessage and talk about who they
are.
My plan is to invite everycandidate that decides to run
for office this election to sitdown and speak with me and share
some about themselves and aboutwhy they're running and why the
community should trust themwith their vote.
In fact, I'd like all thecandidates and those considering
(03:50):
running to think about this asan open invitation to start
scheduling and reaching out tome as well, to plan when we can
sit down and talk.
I'm sure, as a candidate,you'll appreciate the
opportunity to share yourmessage with the voters of
Mokina and I promise to be fairto each and every candidate.
(04:10):
This is Mokina's Front Porchand my intention of the podcast
was to share conversations likeyou would hear if you were
sitting next to me on my frontporch.
Local elections and the resultscan ring loud through a
community about the people thatdecide to run for office.
(04:31):
So with that, I want to sharewhere we're currently at with
the election.
As I said, august 20th was thefirst day that people could pull
petitions and I want to sharefirst the offices that are going
to be up for election on April1st.
Starting with the village ofMokena.
We have the mayor's positioncurrently, frank Fleischer.
(04:54):
We have three village trusteepositions.
Those are currently held byGeorge Matanias, melissa Fedora
and Rob Dauphineas.
Also up is village clerk,currently held by Melissa
Martini.
For the Mokena 159 schooldistrict, there are four
trustees up for election.
There are four trustees up forelection.
Those are currently held by JimAndreessen, anna Briscoe, eric
(05:17):
Bush, who's currently thepresident of the school board,
as well as Lisa Zielinski.
The Lincoln Way 210 High SchoolDistrict.
There are three board membersup for election Currently.
Those are held by Aaron Janik,who is the president of the
board?
Joe Kostick and Deidre Stokes.
(05:38):
There are three MokenaCommunity Park District
commissioners up for electionCurrently.
Those are held by Jeff Appel,mary Louise Knoser and Bob
Lindblom.
For the Mokena Library District, there are two trustee
positions up, currently held byElvin Kempf Jr and Marilyn
(05:59):
O'Rourke, and at the FrankfortTownship.
Those offices are up forelection this year and the
positions that are open at thetownship are the Frankfort
Township Supervisor, currentlyNick George the Clerk, who is
currently Nella Piccolin, theassessor Joe Kral.
Highway commissioner, currentlyBill Carlson.
(06:19):
The collector is currentlyElizabeth Burghardt.
And all four Frankfort Townshiptrustees are currently up.
Those seats are currently heldby trustees Kennedy Kott,
kurzweil and Smith.
Who has filed so far?
Who's gone in and requested apetition saying that they're
(06:41):
going to run for office?
Let's start with the LincolnWay High School District 210.
Joe Kostek, deidre Stokes andAaron Janik have all pulled
petitions.
Nobody else has pulledpetitions in that race.
For the Mokena 159 schooldistrict, the elementary school
district, the incumbents EricBush, jim Andreessen, anna
(07:03):
Briscoe and Lisa Zielinski allpulled petitions, as well as
Katie Carley, amanda Montgomeryand Lauren Doman At the village
of Mokena and this is as ofTuesday, august 27th, per a FOIA
request that I submitted.
The candidates so far that haverequested petitions to run for
(07:27):
office were George Matanias, danGilbert, josh Bailey, melissa
Fedora and Melissa Martini.
Now, these positions don't saywhich office they're pulling
petitions for, but, as GeorgeMetanius told us in our
interview with him, hisintention is to run for Mokina
(07:49):
mayor, so I would assume that heis running for Mokena mayor.
Melissa Martini is currentlythe Mokena village clerk, and so
it would seem clear that she isalso running for clerk again as
well, which leaves the threecandidates that would appear to
be running as trustees, withGeorge Matanias being Dan
(08:12):
Gilbert, josh Bailey and currentMokena village trustee Melissa
Fedora.
As you know, if you've watchedour interview with Mayor Frank
Fleischer, he told us there thathe does intend to run as well,
and so we would expect that wewould see his petitions being
pulled in the near future, orany other trustees that decide
(08:35):
to run as well.
I'm going to keep an updategoing of the township races, but
those are a little different.
It's a wider area and they dorun partisan, meaning Republican
and Democrat so it tends to bea little more straightforward.
Also, I did reach out to thepark district and requested a
FOIA of any buddy that hadrequested a FOIA of anybody that
(08:56):
had requested a park districtpetition.
As of Friday, august 23rd,there were no petitions that had
been pulled for MokenaCommunity Park District
candidates, so I'm requesting anupdate and as soon as I hear
anything from them, I willupdate, as well as keeping track
of any other candidates thatare deciding to run.
(09:17):
So I just want to tell you ifyou're thinking of running, now
is the time to do it.
So, as the mayor said in ourinterview, if you want to run,
do it.
Petition packets can be pickedup at the Park District or the
Village Hall, or if you want torun for school board, those are
even available online.
I'm going to have a separatetab on our website that will be
(09:38):
all election related news andvideos, and everything we do
will be put in one place, so youcan direct that to neighbors
and community members that don'tknow how they're going to vote
or who they're going to vote for.
We'll have likely a lot ofcontested races, which can make
it hard to know everybody that'srunning or involved, so we want
to help make that processeasier.
(10:00):
One way to do that would be foryou to subscribe to our YouTube
page, just going on YouTube,searching Mokina's Front Porch
and clicking subscribe, and makesure you follow our website as
well.
If you have any questions forthe candidates, I'd love to hear
those.
If you have questions forspecific races that you'd like
to hear, please specify whichrace it is school board, high
(10:25):
school, whatever it might be,and the question that you have
for them.
You can send those questions toMokinasFrontPorch at gmailcom
or you can go to our website andsend us a message at
MokinasFrontPorchcom and that'llkeep you updated on everything
Mokinas Front Porch, oneverything Mokina's front porch.
(10:46):
I hope this will be a greatresource to the community to be
able to learn more about thepeople that are running to make
good choices when we go to voteon election day.
You can mark your calendars nowfor April 1st 2025 to be sure
you get out and vote, becausethis is truly where your vote
counts.
So check out the rest of ourwebsite and the podcast and all
(11:08):
the great history stuff that weshare, but keep track of us for
this, because this matters andI'm glad that we can play a
small role in it.
So thanks for watching and wewill see you next time on
Mokina's Front Porch.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com