Government
Learn about how the Village of Bishop Hill is operated, functions, and how you can support our initiatives to promote Swedish culture.
Bishop Hill is a village located in Henry County, Illinois, United States, along the South Edwards River. The village has ten part-time employees. Nine of those employees are board members, and one is a certified water operator. The board of trustees convenes on the first Wednesday of each month at the Bishop Hill water tower.
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The village functions on an annual budget of $48,900 per year from the State of Illinois.
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Board of Trustees:
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Michael Funke - President
Terri Wigant - Clerk
Sharon Wexell - Treasurer
Patrick Light – Trustee
Lisa Nordstrom – Trustee
Ben Strand – Trustee
Michael Keup – Trustee
Amanda Laub – Trustee
James Nolan – Trustee
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Helpful Forms
Help Us Protect Bishop Hill
Advocate for more funding
The State of Illinois provides the Village of Bishop Hill an annual revenue of less than $50,000. This is less than the average salary of a single person. We have to use this money for administrative efforts, maintenance, utilities, infrastructure, preserving our cemetery and park, and road work. Due to our low annual budget, we do not have a village hall, village phone, or the capacity to update buildings to make them ADA compliant. Volunteers are responsible for most events, maintenance, and repairs.
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The State is also responsible for the maintenance of several historical buildings. They refuse to make needed repairs or staff the buildings to serve as museums.
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This needs to stop. We love our town and deserve a fighting chance.
Contact legislators
The best way to help us is to contact Illinois legislators through email or by sending them a letter to request more funding for the Village of Bishop Hill. You can find state senators here and state representatives here.
Invest in our town
Bishop Hill is the home of Swedish restaurants, boutiques, museums, galleries, and craft shops. Only 3 hours from Chicago, it is a great location for rustic wineries, bed and breakfasts, and studios.