May 21, 2025

In what legal observers and residents are calling an egregious abuse of power, Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller convened and conducted the May 19, 2025, City Council meeting without the legal quorum required under both Freeport Municipal Ordinance 216.02 and the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA) — pushing through more than $11.4 million in city spending in the process.

Only four out of eight duly elected and sworn alderpersons were present when the meeting was called to order — one short of the five-member quorum legally required to conduct official city business. Despite this, Mayor Miller proceeded with the meeting, assisted by City Attorney Aaron Szeto, who did not raise any public legal objections or call for a delay.

Violation of Ordinance 216.02

Freeport City Code explicitly states:

“All committees, boards or commissions of Council or of the City... shall strictly comply with all of the applicable provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act... No City public body shall discuss any matter or issue... without first complying with the notice provisions..."
(Ord. 93-14. Passed 4-5-93.)

Under OMA and city rules, a meeting held without a quorum cannot legally deliberate or take action — including approving expenditures, contracts, or appointments.

Yet that is exactly what happened on May 19.

The $11.4 Million Breakdown

With only four alderpersons present — Parker, Klemm, Shadle, and Sellers — and without legal authority, the Council approved:

ItemAmount

Finance Bills $3,546,610.48

Payroll $683,653.52

Fehr Graham Engineering Services $337,500.00

Fehr Graham Engineering Services $225,000.00

Tolemi Contract $21,000.00

EV Charging Station Grants $960,000.00

EV Project Local (Completion) $180,000.00

FSD 145 Water Service Installation $25,500.00

Façade Grant $25,000.00

CMM & Associates $48,330.00

CMM & Associates $43,735.00

CMM & Associates $59,860.00

Helm Group Contract $820,300.00

Helm Group Contract $1,528,338.50

Fischer Excavating Contract $1,233,393

Kelsey Excavating Contract $1,615,161

TOTAL $11,353,381.00

Every dollar of this spending — some of which involved no-bid contracts and grant allocations — may now be legally contestable due to the apparent violation of meeting procedures.

Questionable Swearing-In of Alderwoman Linda Johnson

Adding fuel to the fire, Linda Johnson was sworn in during the same meeting by Judge Glenn R. Schorsch — despite the lack of a quorum — and began voting immediately on city business. No documentation has been provided showing she was sworn in prior to the meeting, as alleged by the administration.

Residents and Legal Experts Alarmed

Legal experts and community advocates are warning that every action taken during the May 19 meeting may be null and void, including all spending approvals and appointments. If true, this could mean significant delays, litigation, and financial liability for the City of Freeport.

More troubling is the precedent it sets. "If a mayor and a city attorney can simply ignore the rules and proceed without a quorum, what checks and balances remain in our local government?" asked one resident in attendance.

Call for Accountability

Fighting4Freeport is calling for:

• An immediate legal review of all votes taken on May 19, 2025

• Suspension of any contracts or payments approved at the illegal meeting

• A formal investigation into the conduct of Mayor Jodi Miller and Attorney Aaron Szeto

• Public release of all internal communications and documents related to the meeting’s preparation

Freeport taxpayers deserve legal governance, not autocratic shortcuts. The law is clear — a quorum is not optional. If the city government will not follow its own rules, how can it be trusted to serve the people?

For public access complaints regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act, contact the Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor at https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.

— Fighting4Freeport