Monee Restores $25,000 Funding for Historical Society Following Public Appeal

Monee Village Board Meeting | April 15, 2026

Article Summary: Following an outpouring of public support, the Monee Village Board voted to restore $25,000 in funding for the Monee Historical Society in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, ensuring the organization can maintain its part-time staff and preserve local archives.

Historical Society Funding Key Points:

• The Board voted 5-1 to increase the Historical Society’s budget line item to $25,000 for FY 2027.

• The funds will primarily support the retention of an employee who manages archives and coordinates volunteers at the historic Creamery building three days a week.

• The Historical Society raised $14,000 independently last year and holds a lease on the Creamery building until 2031.

• Trustees agreed to allocate the funds by utilizing savings from other departments, including money saved by purchasing pickup trucks instead of a dump truck in Public Works.

After hearing passionate pleas from residents and volunteers, the Monee Village Board on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, voted to restore $25,000 in funding for the Monee Historical Society in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

The funding level had been a point of contention during the budget drafting process, but a coordinated presentation by Historical Society leadership and community members during the special meeting swayed the Board to maintain the financial support.

Billy Morgan, President of the Monee Historical Society, addressed the Board to request the funding be returned to its past level of $25,000. He explained that the organization’s sole employee costs $33,000 annually, and this staff member is crucial for keeping the historic Creamery building open to the public three days a week and coordinating the efforts of numerous volunteers.

“The village’s investment in [the Historical Society] is an investment in the very fabric of Monee,” Morgan said. “We don’t charge for events and we promote Monee wherever we go.”

Morgan highlighted that the society is actively working to become more self-sufficient, raising more than $14,000 independently last year through fundraisers, gift shop sales, and book sales. The organization is four years into its tenure at the Creamery building, holding a lease until 2031.

Dan Moore, a resident of Park Forest who serves as the treasurer for the Monee Historical Society, praised the village’s support by drawing a sharp contrast with his hometown.

“I choose to come to the Monee Historical Society because from what I’ve witnessed, it’s by far the best historical society in the area,” Moore told the Board. He noted that Park Forest provides minimal funding to its own historical society, resulting in that organization moving to its third home in ten years.

Resident Betsy Youdris emphasized the urgent need for funding to digitize and preserve aging historical documents.

“We have boxes of paper facts and articles and letters and newspaper accounts that we want to preserve and all that paper disintegrates. It’s got to be put down online,” she explained, inviting trustees to visit the archive room on the second floor of the Creamery.

Trustee Scott Youdris led the push from the dais, making the motion to increase the funding back to $25,000. He added a caveat that the Historical Society must continue working with the village to find ways to take over more of their own expenses over the course of the year.

When Trustee Doug Horne asked where the extra money would come from in the tight budget, Trustee Michael Wilson offered a solution from his department liaison work.

“In Public Works, we actually changed from buying a dump truck to buying some pickup trucks and saved a bunch of money,” Wilson said. “I really think for $12,500 [the difference needed to reach the full $25,000], it’s there.”

The Board voted 5-1 to approve the $25,000 funding allocation, with Trustee John Henson casting the sole “no” vote.