Have a rumor you'd like to report, or a question to ask the Village?  Click here to ask a question

Withholding Information  February 24, 2023

RUMOR: The Village withholds information about dead bodies found in Elk Grove Village. 

FACT: When the Village becomes aware of incidents involving death, Police Officers conduct a preliminary investigation to determine whether the death was unintended, a workplace death, the result of foul play, unusual circumstances, or natural causes. The Police notify the next-of-kin and the next-of-kin helps the Police with information on whether the deceased had any relevant medical history, mental illness, and/or substance abuse history. The Police Department provides this information to the Cook County Medical Examiner or the DuPage County Coroner to assist in the determination of a cause and manner of death.

The Police Department has the discretion to share information if there is a danger to the public. Death investigation information is not withheld; rather, it is protected out of respect for the privacy of the deceased and their family during an extremely difficult grieving time.

Additionally, comments circulating around this rumor included broad allegations of unethical conduct and workplace issues. Below is a statement from the Village Manager addressing these comments:  

As Village Manager, one of my top priorities is ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for Elk Grove Village employees. We take great pride in running a highly professional and ethical organization.

The Village takes workplace concerns and standards of ethical conduct very seriously. Broad accusations on social media provide us with no opportunity to address issues if they exist. However, if these statements are unfounded they only serve to undermine the reputation of our hard-working employees and the Village. Should you have any knowledge or information of misconduct by Village employees, please share that information with my office directly so that we can look into and address the matter.

Thank you,

Matthew Roan, Village Manager
Elk Grove Village
847-357-4010

Elk Grove Cemetery  February 17, 2023

RUMOR: Elk Grove Village is taking ownership of Elk Grove Cemetery. 

FACT: The Elk Grove Cemetery is currently located in unincorporated Elk Grove Township, along Arlington Heights Road, south of the I-90 Tollway. The cemetery is privately owned and controlled by a cemetery board. 

Mayor Johnson has expressed that the Village may be interested in annexing the cemetery property into Elk Grove Village. The Village currently provides snow plowing operations at the Elk Grove Cemetery as part of an existing intergovernmental agreement between Elk Grove Village and Elk Grove Township. 

If the Village were to annex the cemetery property, it would remain a privately owned and operated cemetery. At this time, the Village and Township have not made an official decision about the potential annexation. 

Contact Tracing  May 11, 2020

RUMOR:  The federal government is authorizing the forceable removal of people from their homes through COVID-19 Contact tracing.

FACT: Contact tracing is a core disease control measure, which has been employed by local and state health department personnel for decades, and is a key strategy for preventing further spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC.

In contact tracing, public health staff work with a patient to help them recall everyone with whom they have had close contact during the timeframe while they may have been infectious. Public health staff then warn these exposed individuals (contacts) of their potential exposure as rapidly and sensitively as possible. To protect patient privacy, contacts are only informed that they may have been exposed to a patient with the infection. They are not told the identity of the patient who may have exposed them.

Contacts are provided with education, information, and support to understand their risk, what they should do to separate themselves from others who are not exposed, monitor themselves for illness, and the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they themselves do not feel ill. Contacts are encouraged to stay home and maintain social distance from others (at least 6 feet) until 14 days after their last exposure.

H.R.6666 (COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone ((TRACE)) Act) is a bill proposed in the United States House of Representatives to provide federal funding for contact tracing efforts.  H.R. 6666 does not include any provisions for the forceable removal of people from their homes.  If you have questions about H.R. 6666, please reach out to your elected officials in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Water Meters  April 7, 2020

RUMOR: The upgraded water meter will cause reduced water pressure inside my home.

FACT: The new iPERL water meters do not reduce the water pressure in your home—the new meters offer less flow restriction than the old water meters, which used mechanical parts. The Village began installing the new iPERL meters over 5 years ago, and there are approximately 2,200 meters already installed in our community.

If you are experiencing any issues after the installation, please contact PMI, the firm handling installations for the Village, at (866) 931-2199, so they can look into the issue. 

Village Special Events Contracts   February 11, 2020

FACT: Rocco Vino’s does not have any contracts with the Village, nor do they receive any payments from the Village as part of their food service at the Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series.

When the Village began the concert series over ten years ago as a community event with small-scale entertainment, Rocco Vinos was the only vendor willing to service the event and sell food at family-friendly prices.  Rocco Vinos has continued to act as a food vendor at the concert series.

RUMOR: EMG has made millions of dollars in profits through Village contracts for the management and operation of Village concerts.

FACT: The Village has entered into professional services contracts with EMG for the management and operation of concerts at Village events.  These contracts with EMG include payments for the bands, stage rental and setup, sound equipment transportation, and incidentals, in addition to payment for EMG’s services. 

Village Insurance Contracts     February 11, 2020

RUMOR: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher Insurance) has received insurance contracts from the Village in exchange for the purchase of personal insurance by a Gallagher Insurance employee from Johnson Insurance, which is owned by Mayor Craig Johnson. 

FACT: The Village’s primary insurance contracts are awarded based on decisions of local government cooperatives, of which the Village is a member in order to reduce costs for these services.  

For health insurance, Elk Grove Village is a member of the Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative (IPBC), a public entity risk pool consisting of over 135 public entities in Illinois.  For liability insurance, Elk Grove Village is a member of the Suburban Liability Insurance Pool (SLIP), another multi-municipality intergovernmental insurance cooperative.  Both IPBC and SLIP have contracted with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to administer these insurance programs.

The Village also has a longstanding relationship of over 30 years with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for professional services related to administering workers compensation liability insurance.

A representative from Gallagher Insurance contacted the Village to verify James McInernery, Area Senior Vice President of Gallagher Insurance is not currently, nor has he ever been insured by Johnson Insurance.  The representative further indicated that James McInernery has never engaged in any personal or business dealings with Johnson Insurance. 

RUMOR: Johnson Insurance, owned by Mayor Craig Johnson, provides insurance for Village events.

FACT: Johnson Insurance does not provide any insurance to the Village for special events, or for any other purpose.  The Village has no contracts with and does not engage in any business dealings with Johnson Insurance.

Construction Contract Awards   February 11, 2020

RUMOR: Construction contracts are awarded based on relationships with Village officials.

FACT: Village construction contracts for projects of $25,000 or more are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder through a sealed bid process, as required by State law.  Construction project bids are publicly advertised in the local newspaper and on the Village’s website.  Sealed bids are accepted until the bid-opening deadline, at which time, each sealed bid is opened during a public bid opening that is normally attended by contractors, union representatives and Village personnel. During the bid opening, total bid amounts are read aloud for each person in attendance. Bid tabulations for all Village construction projects since 2015 are available for review at elkgrove.org/bids.

Elk Grove Village Cares Program    February 11, 2020

RUMOR: Elk Grove will spend $500,000 of Village taxpayer money on treatment for addiction for out of town residents through the Elk Grove Village Cares (EGV Cares) program.  

FACT: Elk Grove Village has made a commitment to address the disease of addiction in our community, and we stand by that commitment.  Addressing this type of public health issue is not something that can be done just in one community—opioid addiction is a national public health crisis and there are grant funding opportunities available to support programs like EGV Cares.

The Village has so far received two grants from the State of Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority totaling $78,584 to support treatment for individuals through the EGV Cares program. The Village also received a $1.16 million dollar multi-year federal grant to support regional education and opioid overdose prevention. 

RUMOR: The EGV Cares Program was recently expanded to include treatment for individuals who are not residents, and as a result, individuals from across the U.S. will be flooding the Village to take advantage of the program.

FACT: The EGV Cares Program is now over 18 months old, and has been open to any individual seeking treatment, without discrimination, since its inception.  In that time, there have been 49 referrals to treatment through the program.  The majority of these referrals have been for Village residents, and the remaining individuals have been from nearby communities—primarily in the Chicago metropolitan area, and all but one living less than 25 miles from Elk Grove.

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Sponsorship Results   February 11, 2020

RUMOR: The Village of Elk Grove has misrepresented the role of the sponsorship in prompting Love’s, a national travel stop network, to open a new location in the community.

FACT: Chad Bruner is the real estate project manager for Love’s, was in attendance at the Village Board Meeting on August 13, 2019, and personally spoke about how he was watching the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, and the Village’s unique sponsorship prompted him to consider Elk Grove Village as a future location for a new type of Love’s Travel Stop. 

Bruner is quoted in the press release that announced the proposed 7,600 square-foot store and fueling station at the intersection of Pratt and Busse, which would generate millions of dollars in sales tax revenue for the Village in just a few years. The Village Board Meeting recording from 8-19-19 can be found online.

2020 Roadway Maintenance Program   January 16, 2020

RUMOR: The Village’s 2020 Roadway Maintenance Program neglects the west side of the community.

FACT: The propagators of this rumor are using data from only the portion of the Village’s annual Roadway Maintenance Program funded by Motor Fuel Tax Funds. In addition to the resurfacing projects funded through the Motor Fuel Tax, the Village also allocates funds from the Capital Projects Fund for both street resurfacing and street rehabilitation, which are major projects that go beyond the surface layer and involve rebuilding the sub structure of the road. 

The Village sets its annual street maintenance program based on an analysis of the age and condition of roads.  A complete list of roads scheduled for the Village’s 2020 Street Maintenance Program can be viewed here, and a map of these projects can be viewed here. In 2020, the Village’s Roadway Maintenance Program includes two large projects on the west side, totaling almost 2.5 miles of streets. 

Residents can also view an online map showing all street resurfacing and major road projects from 2017-2019, which clearly shows that construction projects have taken place throughout the community, based on areas of need, rather than a geographic bias.  Road projects can be viewed under the tabs labeled "Major Road Projects" and "Street Resurfacing" it may be necessary to zoom in one layer.  Please note that the 2020 projects were very recently approved, and have not yet been added to this map.    

Traffic Enforcement   September 24, 2019

RUMOR: The Elk Grove Village Police Department is discriminating based on race during the operation of traffic enforcement zones.

FACT: The Elk Grove Village Police Department has consistently maintained its accountability in execution of all state and federal enforcement requirements relating to enforcement zones and roadside safety checks.  The Department has established guidelines for such operations in order to prevent potential discrimination. 

At no time are vehicles directed into screening areas based on the motorist’s or passengers’ race, creed, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or any factor other than the pre-determined interval. Supervisors in the Police Department are on-site for all roadside safety checkpoints to ensure adherence to Department policies and guidelines.

RUMOR: The Police Department targets older vehicles that lower income citizens drive.

FACT: In enforcement zones, vehicles are only targeted for non-compliance with the Illinois State Vehicle Code. All vehicles are required to be in compliance with this code, regardless of the age of the car.  At roadside safety checks, vehicles are randomly selected at pre-determined intervals for screening.

RUMOR: Older vehicles were not originally built with shoulder seatbelts, so seatbelts are not as visible, resulting in older vehicles being stopped unfairly.

FACT: Shoulder seatbelts became standard in vehicles beginning in 1968, and there are not very many vehicles manufactured prior to 1968 on the road.  However, the Police Department is aware that some older vehicles may not include a shoulder seatbelt in some or all seats, in which case motorists using the factory provided lap seatbelt are considered in compliance with the seatbelt law. 

RUMOR: Citations are issued for insignificant equipment violations, including excessive rust and burned out side marker lights.

FACT: Police Officers do not issue citations for excessive rust or burned out side marker lights.  Most vehicles do not have side marker lights.  Citations are issued if a vehicle has a headlight or tail light out, or if brake lights are non-functional.  These types of lights are required because they are critical to safety.

RUMOR: Motorists are arrested at traffic enforcement zones/safety checkpoints for minor issues, such as overdue parking tickets, lack of insurance and child safety seat violations. 

FACT: Officers do not arrest individuals for overdue parking tickets. Officers also do not arrest individuals for failure to show proof of insurance, child safety seat violations or other minor issues; however, citations are issued for these violations. Arrests do sometimes take place at roadside safety checks/enforcement zones.  Individuals may be arrested for severe violations, such as DUIs, or if there is an active warrant out for an individual’s arrest.

RUMOR: Motorists are unfairly arrested at traffic stops for outstanding warrants.

FACT: An arrest warrant is an official document, signed by a judge on behalf of the state, which authorizes a police officer to arrest the person named in the warrant. An outstanding arrest warrant indicates that there is a law enforcement agency which is actively pursuing an individual.  Law enforcement agencies share information, such as outstanding warrants, to prevent the evasion of criminal charges and/or court orders. 

RUMOR: More than 90% of individuals arrested by the Elk Grove Police Department during traffic stops are Hispanic.

FACT: The breakdown of individuals arrested during traffic stops by race over the last year is: Hispanic: 48%, White: 36%, Black: 11%, Asian: 4%; Unknown: 1%.

The Police Department tracks and reports data with regard to traffic stops as part of an effort to monitor possible racial bias. Data is used to by determine the likelihood that minority drivers will be stopped by law enforcement agencies by calculating the ratio between the percentage of minority stops by an agency and that community’s estimated minority driving population.

A ratio of 1.0 would mean that the percentage of traffic stops for minority drivers exactly matches the estimated percentage of minority driving population in a community. Over the past five years, the Elk Grove Village Police Department has maintained a ratio between 0.80 - 1.1. 

RUMOR: The Elk Grove Village Police Department issues warnings to white motorists, but not minority motorists.

FACT: Over the past five years, traffic stops by the Elk Grove Village Police Department involving minority motorists have ended with a verbal or written warning 41% of the time.  Over that same time period, traffic stops involving white motorists have ended with a verbal or written warning 45% of the time. 

If anyone feels they have been treated unfairly or unprofessionally during any type of traffic enforcement encounter with an Elk Grove Village Police Officer (or any interaction of any kind), then they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Department by contacting an on-duty supervisor at 847-357-4100 so that we can look into the matter and hold officers accountable, if necessary.  

Elk Grove Village Cares Program   August 30, 2019

RUMOR: The Village of Elk Grove will spend $500,000 of Village taxpayer money on treatment for addiction for out of town residents through the Elk Grove Village Cares (EGV Cares) program in 2019.  

FACT: Elk Grove Village has made a commitment to address the disease of addiction in our community, and we stand by that commitment.  Addressing this type of public health issue is not something that can be done just in one community—opioid addiction is a national public health crisis and there are grant funding opportunities available to support programs like EGV Cares.

In order to be eligible for such grants, which also support the treatment of residents, the Village cannot discriminate against individuals based on where they live.  The Village has so far received two grants from the State of Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority totaling $78,584 to support treatment for individuals through the EGV Cares program.  Treatment costs to date have totaled less than $50,000.

RUMOR: The Elk Grove Village Cares Program was recently expanded to include treatment for individuals who are not residents, and as a result Individuals from across the U.S. will be flooding the Village to take advantage of the program.

FACT: The Elk Grove Village Cares Program is now over a year old, and has been open to any individual seeking treatment, without discrimination, since its inception.  In that time, there have been 30 referrals to treatment through the program.  Over 63% of these referrals have been for Village residents, and the remaining individuals have been from nearby communities—all living less than 20 miles from Elk Grove Village. Many of the participants from other communities are former Village residents or have immediate family members living in the Village.  Some program participants have insurance coverage and simply need assistance connecting to treatment and support to continue with recovery.  Grant funding has been used to pay for treatment for those without insurance, which has included both residents and non-residents. 

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Sponsorship Results   August 19, 2019

RUMOR: The Village of Elk Grove has misrepresented the role of the sponsorship in prompting Love’s, a national travel stop network, to open a new location in the community.

FACT: Chad Brunerreal estate project manager for Love’s, was in attendance at the Village Board Meeting on August 13, 2019, and personally spoke about how he was watching the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, and the Village’s unique sponsorship prompted him to consider Elk Grove Village as a future location for a new type of Love’s Travel Stop. The meeting is available to view on the EGTV On-Demand website.

Bruner is also quoted in the press release announcing the proposed 7,600 square-foot store and fueling station at the intersection of Pratt and Busse, which would generate millions of dollars in sales tax revenue for the Village in just a few years. The company shared news stories about the announcement on its official social media channels, as can be seen below.