Freeport Township

10/06/2026

****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****

REQUEST FOR DISBURSAL AS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Town of Freeport Seeking Qualified Applicants for the Position of Township Assessor
On October 6, 2026, the Town of Freeport Township Board of Trustees will begin accepting applications to fill a vacancy of the Freeport Township Assessor position created by Assessor Meta Ridgway, who is retiring on December 31, 2026. The application period will close at 12:00 P.M. on November 5, 2026. This vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the five members of the Town of Freeport Township Board of Trustees.

Applicants must submit, by email or in person, a completed application, resume, copies of all necessary certificates and qualifications, and cover letter to Mr. Patrick Sellers, Supervisor, Town of Freeport, whose office is located in Suite 310, 524 West Stephenson Street, Freeport, Illinois 61032. Applications are available in the Supervisor’s Office at no cost, and there is NO application fee to apply. An applicant must possess the qualifications as required by Illinois State Statues (35ILCS 200/2-45). In addition, the applicant must be from the same political party as the previous officeholder, which is the Citizens Party and must be a registered voter and have lived within the Town of Freeport for the last year. The selected candidate shall serve as a Town Assessor for the Town of Freeport, starting January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029, when the current term of the Town Assessor ends.

Applications are available at the Township Supervisor’s office located at 524 W. Stephenson Street, Suite #310, and online at https://freeporttownship.org/careers/

For further information, please contact Patrick Sellers, Supervisor of the Town of Freeport, at (815) 235-8012 or at [email protected].

****REQUIREMENTS TO FILL THE FREEPORT TOWNSHIP ASSESSOR VACANCY****

A person appointed to fill the vacancy must be a member of the same political party as the person vacating the office. The Assessor vacating the office is and has been affiliated with the Citizens Party, an established political party of Freeport Township and the City of Freeport IL. In addition, an applicant must also be a registered voter and have lived within the Town of Freeport for the last year.

The Final Abstract of the 2025 Assessments for Freeport Township state the total assessment for non-farm equalized assessed value was 297,045,682 and a commercial and industrial equalized assessed value of 90,060,633.35

ILCS 200/2-45) Sec. 2-45. Selection and eligibility of township and multi-township assessors.

(c) Beginning December 1, 1996, in a township or multi-township assessment district with $25,000,000 or more of non-farm equalized assessed value or $1,000,000 or more in commercial and industrial equalized assessed value, no person is eligible to file nomination papers or participate as a candidate in any caucus or primary or general election for, or be appointed to fill vacancies in, the office of township or multi-township assessor, unless he or she possesses at least one of the qualifications listed in paragraphs (1) through (6) of this subsection (c).

(1) a currently active Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute;

(2) (blank);

(3) a currently active AAS, CAE, or MAS designation from the Appraisal Institute;

(5) a currently active professional designation by any other appraisal or assessing association approved by the Department; or

(6) (blank).

The candidate cannot file nominating papers or participate as a candidate unless a copy of the certificate of his or her qualifications from the Department is filed with the township clerk, board of election commissioners, or other appropriate authority as required by the Election Code. The candidate cannot be appointed to fill a vacancy until he or she has filed a copy of the certificate of his or her qualifications with the appointing authority.

(e) If any person files nominating papers for candidacy for the office of township or multi-township assessor without also filing a copy of the certificate of his or her qualifications from the Department as required by this Section, the clerk of the township, the board of election commissioners, or other appropriate authority as required by the Election Code shall refuse to certify the name of the person as a candidate to the proper election officials.

Careers Careers NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF TOWNSHIP ASSESSORFOR THE TOWN OF FREEPORT Notice of Vacancy in the Office of the Assessor of the Town of Freeport On October 6, 2026, the Town of Freeport Township Board of Trustees will begin acceptingapplications to fill a vacancy of the Freeport Town...

09/01/2026

Freeport Township Assessor’s Office

Available Job Position – Deputy Assessor, Full Time

Starting Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour

Opening Date: September 1, 2026

Closing Date: September 18, 2026

Position Objective: This position is responsible for performing various functions and activities related to the mass appraisal of properties located within Freeport Township.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: Perform all general office duties including, but not limited to; telephone inquiries, data entry, computer utilization, assisting public with questions/concerns regarding the property assessment and appeal processes. Assist with the valuation and defense of property values. Applicant should have an understanding of CAMA (Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal) systems. Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing, pay close attention to details, be able to manage their time and deal with interruptions and deadlines.

Required Experience: This position requires good math, computer and analytical skills with the ability to apply them. It also requires the ability to perform outside field work for data collection. Applicant must be proficient in Microsoft Office, specifically, Outlook, Word and Excel.

The Applicant is expected to obtain and maintain within 2 years of employment a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation or higher. Training for this designation is paid for by employer.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent (some college experience or degree is preferred), a valid driver’s license, able to operate a standard vehicle and operate a digital camera and tablet.

Excellent benefits provided including group insurance, retirement, paid time off and holidays.

Please submit a Cover Letter and Resume (including 3 references) by September 18, 2026 to:

Zaria Arjun, Chief Deputy Assessor

[email protected]

Also Posted on Indeed.com

Freeport Township is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon any status protected under local, state or federal law.

Freeport Township Assessor

06/22/2026

***HIRING:****

Freeport Township Assessor’s Office

Available Job Position – Deputy Assessor, Full Time

Starting Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour

Opening Date: June 18, 2026

Closing Date: July 15, 2026

Position Objective: This position is responsible for performing various functions and activities related to the mass appraisal of properties located within Freeport Township.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: Perform all general office duties including, but not limited to; telephone inquiries, data entry, computer utilization, assisting public with questions/concerns regarding the property assessment and appeal processes. Assist with the valuation and defense of property values. Applicant should have an understanding of CAMA (Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal) systems. Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing, pay close attention to details, be able to manage their time and deal with interruptions and deadlines.

Required Experience: This position requires good math, computer and analytical skills with the ability to apply them. It also requires the ability to perform outside field work for data collection. Applicant must be proficient in Microsoft Office, specifically, Outlook, Word and Excel.

The Applicant is expected to obtain and maintain within 2 years of employment a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation or higher. Training for this designation is paid for by employer.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent (some college experience or degree is preferred), a valid driver’s license, able to operate a standard vehicle and operate a digital camera and tablet.

Excellent benefits provided including group insurance, retirement, paid time off and holidays.

Please submit a Cover Letter and Resume (including 3 references) by July 15, 2026 to:

Meta Ridgway, Assessor

[email protected]

Also Posted on Indeed.com

Freeport Township is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon any status protected under local, state or federal law.

06/17/2026

We want to address this directly, because a family facing homelessness tomorrow morning is a serious situation and deserves a clear answer, not finger-pointing.

Freeport Township approves bills on a bi-weekly basis, and because this family's need was immediate, we made the decision to refer them to NICCA. NICCA received funding from the Township through our service provider agreement, and those funds were used to assist this family with a hotel stay for the past week. When it became clear more time was needed, the Township approved additional funds to extend that stay through Monday — NICCA was prepared to use those funds immediately. The obstacle wasn't a lack of will or a lack of funding on our end; NICCA was informed that every hotel room in the area was booked for the weekend. That's a logistics problem, not an abandonment.

We understand the frustration and fear behind this post, and we don't fault anyone for feeling let down when an outcome doesn't match the effort behind it. But it's important the community knows the Township didn't walk away from this family — we acted, and we extended resources further once it was clear the need continued. If there is any way to identify alternate housing before tomorrow morning, I want our office and NICCA looped in immediately so we can try to make that happen.

If anyone reading this knows of available rooms or temporary housing in the area this weekend, please reach out to my office directly.

05/28/2026

***Illinois Townships (Including Freeport Township) Must Abide by the Law***

There is no shortage of conversation in Freeport about s*x offenders — who should act, what should be done, and where local government draws the line. I believe that an informed community is a stronger one. But conversation without clarity can breed confusion, and confusion can breed frustration directed at the wrong institutions for the wrong reasons.

Freeport Township, like every unit of local government, does not have the luxury of governing by personal feelings. We govern by law. And the law, as I will explain, is neither vague nor negotiable on this matter. What follows is not an opinion — it is an accounting of what the Illinois Compiled Statutes require of this office, and why Freeport Township will follow them without exception.

Freeport Township exists for one reason: to serve all of the people of this community. Not some. Not only those whose lives have gone according to plan. All of them — including those navigating hardship, seeking a hand up, and looking to local government to honor its obligation to help.

General Assistance is a program mandated by the State of Illinois because the legislature understood something essential: every community will have residents who fall through the cracks, who have nowhere left to turn, and who deserve a bridge back to stability. Freeport Township administers our General Assistance program with seriousness, compassion, integrity, efficiency, and legal fidelity.

Allow me the opportunity to provide you with an example of our strength in leadership, because this is where Freeport Township takes a principled stand. While it may be unpopular. It is, without question, lawful and correct.

Under the Illinois Public Aid Code (305 ILCS 5), a registered s*x offender who meets the financial and residential eligibility requirements for General Assistance cannot lawfully be denied that assistance based solely on their registration status. S*x offender registration is not listed as a disqualifying condition — not in Article VI governing General Assistance, not in Article VIII governing eligibility, not anywhere in the statute. The law is deliberate and precise about what disqualifies a person, and s*x offender status is not on that list.

A registered s*x offender who is destitute, a lawful Illinois resident, living within the township, has the same legal right to General Assistance as any other qualifying resident. The law does not waver on this. Neither does this office. To put it plainly, Freeport Township is bound by state mandate to assist anyone who meets program eligibility requirements.

Citizens of Freeport, General Assistance is not just a program. It is a promise — that when the worst happens and every other option is exhausted, there is still somewhere to turn.

The law does not ask us to approve of every applicant's past. It asks us to assess their current need. And when that need is real and eligibility is met, Freeport Township will be here to honor our obligation — as it always has been.

05/19/2026

***CLEARING UP CONFUSION***

Illinois Townships Do Not Have Jurisdiction Over S*x Offenders or Child Predators

There seems to be a lot of confusion as to who has authority over s*x offender law, so please allow me the opportunity to clear up any erroneous statements that may have been misconstrued. When a registered s*x offender or child predator moves into a community, gets arrested or released, residents naturally look to their local government for answers and action.

However, Illinois townships have no jurisdiction over s*x offenders or child predators. This is not a gap in the law — it is by design. S*x offender regulation in Illinois is a matter of state law, administered by state and county-level agencies, not townships.

This article explains what Illinois townships are, what they do, and who actually holds the authority to monitor, register, and enforce laws related to s*x offenders and child predators.

What are the functions of Illinois Township?

The core functions of an Illinois township are narrow and well-defined by the Illinois Township Code (60 ILCS 1):

• Road Maintenance — Townships maintain roads and bridges in unincorporated areas through an elected highway commissioner.

• Property Tax Assessment — Township assessors determine the value of real property for tax purposes.

• General Assistance — Township supervisors administer financial aid programs for residents in need who do not qualify for other forms of public assistance.

So, as you can see, absent from this list is any role in law enforcement or public safety regulation, or in this particular case s*x offenders.

S*x offender registration, monitoring, and residency restrictions are matters of state law — not township ordinance. A township cannot pass an ordinance that overrides, supplements, or enforces the Illinois S*x Offender Registration Act. That authority simply does not exist at the township level.

Who Has Jurisdiction Over S*x Offenders and Child Predators in Illinois?

Jurisdiction over s*x offenders in Illinois is held at the state and county levels. Here is a clear breakdown of who does what:

Illinois State Police (ISP):
The Illinois State Police is the primary authority for s*x offender registration in the state. Under 730 ILCS 152/115, the ISP is mandated by law to establish and maintain the Illinois S*x Offender Database — a publicly accessible, statewide registry identifying individuals convicted of s*x offenses and crimes against children. The ISP sets registration standards, maintains the database, and oversees statewide compliance.

County Sheriffs:
For residents living in unincorporated areas — meaning areas outside any city, village, or incorporated municipality — the county sheriff's office is the responsible law enforcement authority. Sheriffs maintain local lists of registered s*x offenders in their jurisdictions, conduct residential compliance checks, and enforce registration requirements under the S*x Offender Registration Act (730 ILCS 150). If a registered offender fails to comply, residents in unincorporated areas should contact the county sheriff.

The State's Attorney:
Once an arrest is made, the decision to file criminal charges rests entirely with the State's Attorney for the county in which the offense occurred. The State's Attorney is an elected county official who reviews evidence, determines what charges to pursue, and prosecutes the case in court. Townships have no say in this process and no mechanism to influence it.

Illinois Circuit Court Judges:
Sentencing of convicted s*x offenders is the exclusive authority of Illinois Circuit Court judges. Sentences are governed by the Illinois Criminal Code and applicable statutes. No township official, board, or ordinance has any bearing on what sentence a convicted offender receives. None.

Municipal Police Departments:
For residents living within an incorporated city or village, the local police department handles s*x offender registration and monitoring. Offenders living within municipal limits must register with their local police department in person. That information is then submitted to the statewide Illinois State Police database. Local police conduct address verification and employment checks to ensure compliance.

Illinois Department of Corrections and Prisoner Review Board:
These state agencies play a role when an offender is released from custody. They coordinate notification and supervision conditions for those on parole or mandatory supervised release, and work with local law enforcement during the transition of offenders back into the community.

Federal Law Enforcement (FBI / U.S. Marshals):
For offenders who cross state lines or violate federal law, federal agencies have jurisdiction. Failure to register as a s*x offender across state lines is a federal crime under the S*x Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Why This Distinction Matters:
Confusion about which level of government handles what is common — and understandable. But when it comes to public safety threats like s*x offenders and child predators, knowing the right agency to contact is essential.

Township officials — supervisors, trustees, assessors, and highway commissioners — serve important roles in their communities. But they are administrators of local services, not law enforcement. Expecting them to act on s*x offender matters not only misplaces responsibility, but it also delays the involvement of agencies that actually have the tools, training, and legal authority to act.

Illinois townships play a valuable and legitimate role in local government. That role simply does not include s*x offender oversight. Residents with concerns about s*x offenders or child predators in their community should contact their local police department or county sheriff — the agencies that have both the legal authority and the resources to respond.

Citizens learning and understanding the facts is crucial to the success of democracy.

05/06/2026

This is what collaboration looks like. When our great institutions work together, our community benefits greatly. Thank you, Veterans Assistance Commission for the continuted support of our local veterans.Thank you Joseph's Pantry for flexibility and for all you do for our community.

05/05/2026

***INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE***

Freeport Township Powers Up
the Boys & Girls Club Computer Lab!

Big things are happening for the young people of Freeport! Freeport Township is proud to announce that it has provided dedicated funding to the Boys & Girls Club of Freeport and Stephenson County to fully upgrade its computer lab — giving our youth access to the modern technology they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

In today's world, digital literacy is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Every child deserves access to the tools that will prepare them for the jobs, opportunities, and challenges of tomorrow. This investment ensures that young people right here in our community have exactly that — a modern, equipped, inspiring space where they can explore technology, build new skills, and unlock their full potential.

This is what Freeport Township is all about: putting your tax dollars to work in ways that make a real, lasting difference in the lives of the children and families we serve. When we invest in our youth, we invest in the future of this entire community — and that is a cause worth celebrating.

"When we invest in our youth, we invest in the future of our entire community." - Supervisor Patrick A. Sellers

Freeport Township remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting education, expanding opportunity, and building a stronger Freeport — one initiative at a time. This is just one example of what's possible when local government listens, acts, and puts people first.

Here's to brighter futures — powered by possibility! ✨

04/24/2026

Please join us in wishing an early Happy Birthday to Patrick Sellers, Freeport Township Supervisor.

Since 2013, Mr. Sellers has served the residents of Freeport Township with dedicated, dependable, and community focused leadership. His integrity and professionalism continue to make a meaningful and lasting difference, strengthening our community and enhancing quality of life for residents.

We are beyond grateful for his years of service!

04/15/2026

***Tonight, Freeport Township Supervisor Patrick Sellers, delivered his Annual Township meeting address. Below is a copy of his speech.***

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Patrick Sellers, Supervisor of Freeport Township — and tonight, as I have done year after year, I stand before you to give an honest account of where we are, how we have served you, and where I believe we must go from here. That is not merely a tradition. That is a covenant. It is the fundamental promise that every elected official makes to the people who entrust them with power.

I take that covenant seriously. And so I will not insult your intelligence tonight with half-truths, comfortable silence, or carefully worded statements designed to protect political relationships at the expense of your right to know.

Let me begin with what is good. In 2025, Freeport Township conducted all of its state-mandated services with excellence. Every program ran. Every eligible client was served. Our staff showed up — day after day — and did their jobs with professionalism and dedication. Not a single dollar of your hard-earned tax money was wasted on frivolity or excess. Our budget remains firmly in the black. We have been good stewards of the public trust, and I am proud of that record.

But pride in what we have done well does not give us permission to look away from what remains broken. And tonight, I am not here to simply celebrate accomplishments. I am here to tell you the truth — the whole truth — because that is what you deserve.

For as long as I have held this office, I have spoken openly and urgently about the deterioration of our neighborhoods. I have not done so to be dramatic. I have not done so to score political points. I have done so because I walk these streets. Because I talk to residents. Because I see, with my own eyes, what is happening to the community I was elected to serve.

I have raised concerns about dilapidated and abandoned properties that scar our blocks and invite criminal activity. I have spoken about illegal dumping that disrespects our neighborhoods and signals to residents that no one in power cares about the condition of their streets. I have warned about the creeping expansion of criminal enterprise — activity that was once largely confined east of the redline of West Street, but which has crossed further west with each passing year, following the path of least resistance, because too few people in positions of authority have been willing to confront it head-on.

I have made pleas. I have delivered proposals. I have put forward ideas, concerns, and concrete suggestions. And do you know what I received in return? Silence. Dismissal. My words were treated as unsubstantiated jargon — as if the evidence was not visible to anyone willing to open their eyes and look.

"The evidence is not hidden. It is on our streets, in our headlines, and in the grief of our families."

I have come to understand something about political culture: it is far more comfortable to maintain the illusion of peace than to do the hard, unglamorous work of confronting disorder. It is easier to host ribbon cuttings than to shut down drug corners. It is easier to attend award ceremonies than to demand accountability for the conditions our most vulnerable residents endure every single day.

My voice has been an unwelcome one in certain circles. But I would rather be unwelcome and honest than welcomed and complicit.

Some of my colleagues have worked very hard to convince this community — and perhaps themselves — that we do not have a serious problem. They operate on the belief that what is not spoken aloud does not exist. That out of sight truly means out of mind. That the optics of progress matter more than the reality of suffering.

I reject that belief entirely. And tonight, I want to name — plainly and without apology — the realities that too many people in this city would prefer to whisper about rather than confront:

When youth are being shot and killed in our streets — there is a problem.

When illegal drugs are sold openly in our neighborhoods, in plain sight, without shame — there is a problem.

When illegal fi****ms are discovered at an Airbnb in one of our more prominent neighborhoods — weapons that had no business being there — there is a problem.

When Homeland Security, the FBI, the IRS, and local law enforcement conduct coordinated raids in our communities — and residents are left to piece together the story from rumor and speculation because no one in authority will speak plainly — there is a problem.

When a 12-year-old child takes his own life — and the public response is little more than a murmur, a moment of quiet, and then silence — there is a problem.

Each one of those realities represents a failure. Not a failure of any single person, but a collective failure — a failure of systems, of priorities, of will. And they demand not silence, but sustained, courageous action.

A 12-year-old child. Twelve years old. If that does not move us — all of us — to ask harder questions, to demand better answers, and to insist on real change, then I am not sure what will. The absence of public outcry in the wake of that tragedy is itself a symptom of the numbness that sets in when a community has been failed for too long.

"When a community stops crying out, it is not because the pain is gone — it is because hope has been deferred one too many times."

We cannot allow hope to die in this city. Not while I hold this office. Not on my watch.

I am fully aware of what my candor costs me. I know that these remarks will be characterized — by some — as pessimistic, as divisive, as unhelpful. I know that I will be called an agitator. I know that certain invitations will not be extended to me, that certain conversations will go quiet when I enter the room, and that my political standing among the comfortable class will suffer for it.

Let me be absolutely clear: I am at peace with every one of those consequences.

I did not run for this office to be popular. I did not run to be comfortable. I did not run so that I could be included in the right social circles or protect my political future. I ran because I believed — and I still believe — that this community deserves a representative who will tell them the truth, advocate relentlessly on their behalf, and refuse to be domesticated by the expectations of political conformity.

There is a concept in politics called the status quo — the idea that things are as they are, and maintaining that stability is itself a form of governance. I have no quarrel with stability when stability means safety and flourishing. But when the status quo means that children are dying, that drugs flow freely, that families live in fear, and that an entire generation grows up believing that no one in power sees them or cares — then the status quo is not neutral.

The status quo is a choice. And it is the wrong choice.

I will never silence my voice to preserve a seat at that table. Not when silence could mean the difference between life and death for the people I was duly elected to serve. Not now. Not ever.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would not stand before you year after year — raising alarms, absorbing criticism, pressing on — if I did not believe, in my bones, that things can be different. That this community has the capacity for something far better than what we have settled for.

They say that the darkest hour comes just before the dawn. I believe that. We are in a dark hour — let us not pretend otherwise. But darkness is not permanent. It is not destiny. It is a condition that yields, eventually, to those who refuse to stop fighting for the light.

The power to change Freeport is not in Springfield. It is not in Washington. It is not in the hands of some distant authority waiting to rescue us. It is here. It is in this room. It is in the hands, the voices, and the votes of the people of this community.

That power was given to us — by our Creator, by our history, by every generation that sacrificed so that we could sit in rooms like this one and speak freely. And through the institution of democracy, we entrust that power to the people we elect — with the expectation, the demand, that they will use it faithfully and courageously.

Hold us to that standard. Hold me to that standard. Demand honesty. Demand action. Demand leaders who will look you in the eye and tell you the truth even when the truth is hard — and then roll up their sleeves and get to work changing it.

I remain committed to that work. I remain committed to you. And I will not stop until the dawn we are waiting for finally arrives.

"The power to change our community belongs to us. Let us use it — together."

Thank you. God bless you all — and God bless this community we are all fighting to protect.

— Patrick Sellers, Supervisor, Freeport Township | Annual Address 2026 —