Peoria electors call special town meeting to study senior services and possible levy

Peoria electors voted on April 14 to ask the Township Clerk to call a special town meeting to study senior services and to consider creating an ad hoc committee to develop a financially sustainable senior center.

The petitioners’ spokesperson, Mira Lee, told electors the study would provide “the data we need to decide exactly which programs deserve our support” and proposed that the committee deliver recommendations to the Township Board by October 2026. Lee framed the request as a response to demographic change and gaps in services: “By 2030, Peoria will have more residents over the age of 50 than under 18,” she said.

Township attorney John Redlingshafer clarified procedural limits and confirmed the petition’s validity despite a citation error on the form. He told electors that if the motion passes, the special town meeting agenda would include two items: (1) discussion and a vote on creating an ad hoc senior services committee and (2) discussion and potential action on authorizing a tax levy related to senior services under 35-55 of the Township Code. “If it passes tonight, the clerk shall call a special town meeting and the agenda will be those items,” Redlingshafer said.

Supporters included Julie Bonar of Neighborhood House, who described the organization’s senior nutrition work and said loneliness and lack of services are a health crisis. Opponents urged caution about new tax authority and noted existing nonprofit efforts; Trustee/elector Kelly asked whether taxpayers should be asked to shoulder more costs when local charities and centers already provide services.

Clerks counted ballots across meeting rooms and recorded the motion as passed; the clerk and the attorney confirmed the Clerk will set a date and satisfy notice requirements under section 35-10. The Clerk indicated May 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers as the planned date for the special town meeting.

Why it matters: The action moves senior services from petition to a formal public process where residents and the Township Board can hear analysis of financial options, and it preserves public input before any levy is proposed. The special meeting will be the venue to weigh options, from grant and private support to a property tax levy.

Next steps: The Township Clerk will publish notice and an agenda for the special town meeting; the ad hoc committee (if created at that meeting) would be charged to study needs and report back to the Township Board by October 2026, per the petitioners’ request.