Mayor Lilija Stevens

09/08/2026

LOTS of conversation around our current Washington Commercial Building and Property Improvement Grant Program - LOTS of questions WHY General Fund taxpayer money is currently being used to help businesses.

🔜 Tonight we’ll hear a PRESENTATION about a NEW CONCEPT in the City of Washington ➖ Business District Redevelopment Plan ➖ where sales tax money, not General Fund money, provides grants and loans for businesses in the BDD.

Other surrounding communities have successfully utilized BDD’s for many years…
Is implementing a BDD in our future to successfully grow businesses in the City❓

Join us in person for a PUBLIC HEARING at 6:30 pm in Banquet Room A at Five Points Washington. Here’s a link to the agenda 🔻
https://www.ci.washington.il.us/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item&id=3778

09/07/2026

✔️ Check out the public recognition of Washington Fire Department Chief Gee 👏🏼along with honoring our Washington Police Department 👏🏼by our District 53 State Senator Chris Balkema in his weekly email. Thank you‼️

Illinois State Senator Balkema represents a portion of the City of Washington (basically areas north of B24 and Rt8).

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day 🇺🇸

Due to today’s Labor Day holiday, our City Council meeting will be held 🔜 tomorrow , Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

The City Council meeting will begin immediately after the 6:30 pm Public Hearing where information about a proposed Business Development Plan will be presented.

Here’s the link to the City Council Agenda:

https://www.ci.washington.il.us/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item&id=3774

09/02/2026

Update….after our September 6th event:

Thank you ❤️ to everyone involved with yesterday’s 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony.
Heather Penney 🫶🏼was an amazing speaker at our 🔻

➡️ Sunday, September 6th at 4pm at the helicopter in Washington Park‼️

🔜 Please join us at the helicopter located on Lincoln Street in Washington Park this Sunday, September 6, 2025 at 4 p.m.

🇺🇸 We are honored to welcome F-16 fighter pilot and veteran Heather "Lucky" Penney as the guest speaker for this year's service.

➡️ Most widely recognized for her service on September 11, Heather Penney will draw from that experience and a remarkable career in aviation and military service to share a message of courage, leadership, and the lasting lessons of that day…twenty-five years ago.

09/02/2026

08/24/2026

Update….(8/25/26 @ 7:36pm)…Thank you to everyone involved in this most wonderful event 👏🏼
🔜 Tomorrow….Tuesday, August 25th‼️

08/21/2026

My heartfelt appreciation for this birthday post (posted on the City FB page on my bday 8-20). I sincerely appreciate your birthday wishes. Whether we are personal friends, have a working relationship, or are developing one, these public birthday comments and "likes" send a positive message. To me, that message of goodwill and working together, is the best birthday gift of all.

08/16/2026

Looks like a really long Agenda, doesn’t it❓

Not necessarily….see the orange shaded section❓That’s the Consent Agenda that’s made up of Items A.-G.

👉🏼 All the Consent Agenda items may be approved with one motion, then a second followed by a roll call vote. One vote for items A.-G.

👉🏼 The rest of the items on the City Council agenda are discussed individually.

🔜 You are invited to the Monday, August 17, 2026 Washington City Council meeting that will begin at 6:30 pm in Banquet Room A at Five Points.

Join us in person or watch 🖥️ the meeting live via this link:
https://youtube.com/?si=-PI5PEIBVY0pFJYa

08/13/2026

Discussion takes place at Committee of the Whole meetings (regularly scheduled every 2nd Monday of each month)…next step….agenda items from that meeting, items that there was consensus to move forward, are then placed on the following City Council meeting agenda, which is this upcoming Monday, August 17th, for a formal vote.

08/13/2026

Dog gone it….I can’t believe I missed City Hall Selfie Day ‼️

There’s always next year 🤞🏼

Side note…I need to look back....if I find a picture from a past City Hall Selfie Day, I’ll add it to this post👍🏼