Unfounded Accusations

The notification was sent to us by Freeport City Council member, James Monroe. And … well, we’ll let you read it for yourself first.

On December 23, 2025, a coalition of concerned Freeport residents delivered 40 pages of petition signatures to the Stephenson County Circuit Court, seeking to place a referendum on the April 1, 2025, consolidated election ballot. The petition calls for the city of Freeport to adopt a Mayor-Council form of government, replacing the current City Manager system.

Sources close to the initiative highlight growing dissatisfaction with the City Manager form of governmen...