Mayor Miller’s Appointment to ADA Commission Exposes More Political Games
FREEPORT, IL – August 20, 2025
On August 18, Mayor Jodi Miller announced the appointment of Connie Kraft to the ADA Compliance Commission, effective through May 31, 2029. What should have been a positive step for Freeport’s disabled residents has quickly turned into another reminder of how Miller uses city commissions as political weapons — rewarding loyalists and punishing opponents.
A Mayor Playing Politics
For months, Miller has treated commissions not as citizen-driven bodies but as shields for her administration. Members are expected to rubber-stamp decisions and provide political cover. Those who resist are sidelined. Those who support or donate are rewarded.
At Monday’s council meeting, one alderman asked the obvious: “Why Connie Kraft?”
Miller’s reply was weak: Kraft once served on a commission, had shown interest, and there was an opening.
Alderwoman Cecilia Stacy, mindful of Miller’s earlier scandal of appointing a convicted drug trafficker to the Planning Commission, asked if Kraft was an “outstanding citizen.” Miller brushed it off with: “I wouldn’t put somebody on if I didn’t think they were outstanding.”
Who is Connie Kraft?
Kraft is not the problem. She is highly qualified. As Executive Director of United Way of Northwestern Illinois, a former ADA Commission Chair, and with 12 years of experience at RAMP Center for Independent Living, she brings valuable expertise.
But her appointment is clouded by secrecy.
Her August 6th application was redacted to hide her address.
Records show she lived in Lena until 2020.
Her LinkedIn still lists Lena as her home.
Residency is not required by ordinance, but the cover-up leaves the public asking: why hide it?
The Applicant Who Was Denied
The real scandal lies in who was denied the seat.
On June 17, 2025, Suzanne “Sue Cannova” Cook applied to serve on the ADA Commission. On June 25, she was told by Miller’s assistant:
“At this time, all seats have been filled.”
That was false. No public resignations or removals have been disclosed, meaning either Miller lied to a resident or deliberately withheld seats for political maneuvering.
Cook is a lifelong Freeporter, disabled herself, and a proven advocate for accessibility. She has fought to improve handicap parking, fix oversight at city events, and make sure disabled residents were not excluded. She recently ran for 2nd Ward Alderman, losing to Miller ally Linda Johnson.
By any measure, Sue Cook has earned her place on the ADA Commission. But Miller refused her, just as she has refused so many who challenge her authority.
Eight Years of Neglect
Adding insult to injury, Miller is now parading the ADA Commission as if it were her brainchild. In reality, the commission was established in 1995. For eight years, she ignored it. Now, under pressure, she has resurrected it for political gain.
Fighting4Freeport’s Take
This is not about Connie Kraft. She will likely do good work. The problem is Mayor Miller’s continued dishonesty and manipulation.
She blocked a lifelong advocate and disabled resident from serving on the ADA Commission, not because there wasn’t room, but because Sue Cook is independent and refuses to play politics. Miller may have kept Sue off the commission for now, but rumor has it the people of Freeport will have the chance to put Sue to work in November 2026 — when she is expected to run for Stephenson County Clerk.
Freeport deserves commissioners — and leaders — chosen for their service, not their loyalty to Jodi Miller. Our neighbors with disabilities deserve a voice at the table that is free of corruption.
Mayor Miller may win her small games for now, but the people of Freeport always get the final say.
