16/05/2026
MadCo — The Madison County Board Finance Committee is scheduled to meet today, May 14. On the agenda is the proposed sale of Special Service Area No. 1, a sewer system serving roughly 7,000 customers in areas north, northeast and east of Granite City.
Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser has publicly acknowledged the county is reviewing an offer from Illinois American Water to purchase SSA #1.
MCPCTF reached out yesterday to Brock Teichmiller, a Principal of Business Development with Illinois American Water, and was told someone would be in touch regarding questions about the proposed acquisition.
Madison County Board member Chris Guy, who also serves as chairman of the Finance Committee, called MCPCTF earlier this morning and provided copy of a recusal memo he submitted to Slusser regarding the proposed sale because he is employed with Illinois American Water as Senior Director of Business Development & Government Affairs at Illinois American Water.
Guy also said he intends to open and chair the beginning of the Finance Committee meeting before turning the meeting over to another board member during discussion of the Illinois American Water proposal.
The Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. today in the County Board Room at the Madison County Administration Building, 157 N. Main St. in Edwardsville.
SSA #1 was created in the 1970s to provide sanitary sewer service in the American Bottoms area, primarily serving residents in Chouteau and Nameoki townships. Under the special service area structure, Madison County retained ownership of the district while customers funded the system through decades of sewer bill payments.
Vocal opponents of the proposed sale argue customers have already paid for the sewer infrastructure — including pipes, pumps, lift stations and facilities — and should not face higher rates to finance a private acquisition and that the district is debt-free and has millions of dollars in reserves.
The proposed sale has drawn comparisons to Granite City, which previously sold its sewer system and wastewater treatment operations to Illinois American Water. Critics say Granite City water and sewer bills increased following the transaction.
Republican Madison County Board Chairman from 2016 to 2024 Kurt Prenzler has publicly opposes the proposed sale and encouraged residents to attend county meetings and submit public comments.
Slusser previously told the Alton Telegraph that Illinois American Water approached the county “several months ago” about purchasing SSA #1 and submitted an offer in early April. “We’re still reviewing it,” Slusser told the newspaper, adding that the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office was reviewing the proposal.
On March 31, Guy submitted a recusal memo to Slusser stating he would abstain from discussions and votes related to the proposed sale because he is employed by Illinois American Water.
Emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show discussions between Madison County and Illinois American Water representatives dating back to at least February.
In a Feb. 6 email, Teichmiller wrote to Madison County office manager Liz Happold to coordinate a follow-up meeting with Slusser and County Administrator Dave Tanzyus, who was hired during the administration of Republican former County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler.
In a March 16 email sent to Assistant State’s Attorney David Livingstone, who works under Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, and copied to Slusser and Tanzyus, Teichmiller discussed employee and union communications in the event of a sale and referenced a potential asset purchase agreement involving SSA #1.
Tom Haine is the son of former Democratic Madison County State’s Attorney Bill Haine.
Another email included in the FOIA release stated the “purpose of the meeting is to present binding offer to Madison County for SSA #1.”
On April 8, Teichmiller emailed Livingstone, copying Slusser and Tanzyus, suggesting messaging strategies for communicating a possible sale of SSA #1 to the public and offering assistance from Illinois American Water’s communications team.
More than 100 people attended a May 4 Sewer Facilities Committee meeting in Mitchell regarding the proposed transaction, according to organizers.
The FOIA documents obtained by MCPCTF are available here: https://public.pdf-archive.pro/7KF0N2yG/
