Sammons Point, Illinois

Sammons Point is an incorporated village [cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/index.html | title = Boundary Changes | work = Geographic Change Notes: Illinois | publisher = Population Division, United States Census Bureau | date = 2006-05-19 | accessdate = 2008-06-30] in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. It had an estimated population of 305 in 2007. [cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-17.csv | title = Table 4. Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Illinois: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 | format = CSV | work = | publisher = United States Census Bureau, Population Division | date = 2007-07-10 | accessdate = 2008-07-11]

Sammons Point is located within Otto Township in south central Kankakee County. The village is part of the Kankakee–Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Kankakee County.

Recent history

Sammons Point was first created in an effort to fend off the proposed expansion of the Waste Management Corporation's landfill. In March 2006, an incorporation election took place with 82 people (66.7%) voting in favor of the measure and 41 (33.3%) voting against.cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=421108&query=Sammons%20Point | title = Judge names trustees, mayor four months after election | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2008-05-22 | accessdate = 2008-06-30]

Waste Management, which owned land within the new village, wanted all of their land to be unincorporated and under the jurisdiction of the Kankakee County Board instead of Sammons Point.cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=417376&query=Sammons%20Point | title = Wrangling over the now-defunct village of Sammons Point continues | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2008-03-31 | accessdate = 2008-06-30] They challenged the validity of the election in court, claiming that its organizers had not followed proper procedures when presenting their original incorporation petitions.cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=416682&query=Sammons%20Point | title = Opponents of Sammon Point seek official positions | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2008-03-26 | accessdate = 2008-06-30] The Circuit Court sided with Sammons Point, but Waste Management prevailed in a June 2007 appeal to the Third Appellate Court in Ottawa. A bid by the village for new hearing on the case was denied on August 8, 2007 and Sammons Point was formally disbanded on September 13.cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=405354&query=Sammons%20Point | title = No More Sammons Point | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2007-10-11 | accessdate = 2008-06-30]

Soon after, efforts to reincorporate the community were revived. A new incorporation election was held on February 5, 2008 with 87 votes (57.2%) cast in favor of reestablishing the village and 65 (42.8%) opposed. Approximately 76 percent of eligible voters participated in the election.cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=413484&query=Sammons%20Point | title = Referendum passes, Sammons Point is reborn | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2008-02-05 | accessdate = 2008-06-30]

Village government

In August 2006, Mike Watson was named as the village's first mayor by a local court order. Six members were also appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees. They were Stephen Schuricht, Paul Gray, Robert Keller, Budd Meents, Clifford Schroeder and James Turner. Patrick Buescher was appointed to serve as village clerk. [cite web | url = http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=377167 | title = Watson named as village's first mayor | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2006-08-28 | accessdate = 2008-06-30] They held those positions until municipal elections were conducted in April 2007. In that poll, all of the appointed officials were formally elected. [cite web | url = http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=392938&query=Sammons%20Point | title = Sammons Point: Appointed leaders will stay | work = | publisher = The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) | date = 2007-04-17 | accessdate = 2008-06-30] These positions were abolished on September 13, 2007, when Sammons Point was ordered to disband.

Nearly four months after the February 5, 2008 incorporation vote, Circuit Court Judge James B. Kinzer restored Mike Watson to his previous post as mayor. He also named four former village officials and two who had opposed incorporation to the new Board of Trustees. They were Paul Becker, Pat Buescher, Bill Graham, Robert Keller, Budd Meents, and Stephen Schuricht. Becker and Graham were members of the "Concerned Citizens of Otto Township," a group that opposed incorporation for the village. The next round of municipal elections is scheduled to take place in April 2009.

Education

Sammons Point is served by the Central Community Unit School District 4 [http://www.clifton-u4.k12.il.us/] , which is based in the Iroquois County village of Clifton.

ee also

*Limestone, Illinois – another Kankakee County village that incorporated in 2006.

References