Joliet Mayor Urges Joliet Township Supervisor To Withdraw $8.6 Million Grant To House Migrants

City of Joliet pre-council meeting – Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy

Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy is asking that Joliet Township supervisor Angel Contreras withdraw his grant from the state of Illinois to house migrants. At Monday night’s pre-council meeting D’Arcy said no one within the Joliet Council, fire department, police departments or elected officials were made aware of the grant. Joliet is on track to get $8.6 million from the state of Illinois. WJOL reached out to State Senator Rachel Ventura, her statement to WJOL stated she heard about this from Contreras but did not officially hear it from the Pritzker Administration.

Statement from Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy at Joliet’s Pre-Council meeting on Monday, October 3rd, 2023:

I want to take a moment to clarify the facts regarding the recent news about a grant for Municipalities Serving Asylum Seekers.

The people sitting on this dais were placed here by the people of Joliet with a duty and obligation to preserve and protect their investment in their property and preserve their quality of life.

That said, the decision-makers in the city did not have knowledge of a grant request made by Joliet Township and with community partners and organizations.

The City of Joliet Mayor’s Office and Joliet Fire Department did not sign or approve any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Township or with other community partners and other organizations on the grant that was submitted.

If the township accepts this grant and individuals arrive in our city, it will be a tremendous strain and overtaxing our existing infrastructure impacting our Joliet School System, social services, public and private health resources and public safety.

I want to ensure the residents understand the City of Joliet Mayor’s Office and the Joliet Fire Department did not approve, agree to or sign off on this grant application.

I have been in discussions with State Representatives Larry Walsh Jr., and Natalie Manley, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, and County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant about this grant.

None of them were aware of this application until the release that went out late last Friday afternoon.

I have asked Joliet Supervisor Angel Contreras to withdraw the grant application.