Overheated Frankforters: Fear and Loathing in Frankfort, Illinois

Frankfort, IL – What began as a routine Village Board meeting at Frankfort Village Hall on Monday, March 17, 2025, quickly descended into conflict, accusations, and heated exchanges—marking a fiery conclusion to the final pre-election gathering ahead of the highly contested April 1st election.
While the meeting initially proceeded smoothly with the Board addressing the Committee of the Whole Report and Planning Commission updates, the atmosphere shifted dramatically during Public Comment, when local developer Dan Rose approached the lectern.

Rose, who recently filed a D-4 Election Interference complaint against incumbent Mayor Keith Ogle for violating Section 9-25.1 of the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act, delivered a pointed rebuttal to Ogle’s public response. Rose detailed how Ogle used the official Village of Frankfort logo in his campaign social media posts, stating:
“The logo Mr. Ogle featured in his social media campaign posts—the same logo identified in the election interference complaint—is prominently used throughout official Village operations and communications.”
Rose meticulously laid out evidence demonstrating that the logo was taxpayer-funded and publicly maintained, citing its frequent appearance on official government documents, the Village website, and even the façade of Village Hall. To further underscore his point, Rose referenced Frankfort Village Board Minutes from December 16, 2019, where the Board approved Resolution No. 19-50, authorizing a $24,700 contract with Revize, LLC for website redesign and ongoing services. He noted, with particular emphasis, that the motion to approve this expenditure was made by then-Trustee Keith Ogle—directly tying Ogle to the public funding behind the logo he used for campaign purposes.

As Rose concluded his remarks and returned to his seat, Justin Ozinga, Ogle’s opponent in the mayoral race, took the floor. What began as an innocuous moment, with Trustee Dan Rossi tossing a pen to Ozinga at the lectern, soon foreshadowed the escalating tension to come.
Ozinga, seizing the moment, questioned whether Robinson Engineering, which employs Trustee Maura Rigoni, was given preferential or exclusive access to projects discussed during the earlier Committee of the Whole and Planning Commission reports. Though Rigoni had recused herself from discussions over certain projects at the night’s proceedings, Ozinga’s inquiry referenced existing concerns over potential conflicts of interest.

Then, shifting to a campaign-oriented grievance, Ozinga demanded answers from the Board:
“Why were 20 of my campaign signs found outside behind Village Hall?”
Ozinga was referring to dozens of his campaign signs, which he claims were mysteriously removed from visible public areas and discovered stashed behind the municipal building—a claim he had previously documented on his Facebook page.

The exchange quickly became heated, with Trustee Eugene Savaria interjecting. As Ozinga attempted to continue, Ogle sternly reminded him:
“There is no back and forth—this is the time for public comment.”

Ozinga, not backing down, fired back:
“I’m not going back and forth, he [Savaria] is addressing me, going back and forth with me!”

As the Board adjourned, the tension boiled over. Ozinga, seemingly provoked by a remark from Savaria, approached the Trustees’ desk and confronted him directly:
“Why do you have such hate in your eyes for me?”

Savaria, visibly agitated, snapped back:
“You came here and you are attacking the Board!”

Ozinga, defiant, retorted:
“I’m not attacking the Board, I’m asking about my signs—it’s a real issue!”

The confrontation escalated further as Savaria took a personal swipe at Ozinga, referencing another local candidate:
“This happens in elections—look at Todd Morgan. Did you get fined? Todd Morgan got fined! You didn’t get fined!”

As the heated back-and-forth continued, and shouts echoed through the emptying board room, Trustee Adam Borrelli followed Ozinga out of the chamber, continuing the exchange privately, and more quietly, outside in front of Village Hall.

Among the residents in attendance, the volatility left some feeling unsettled. One Frankfort resident, clearly shaken, remarked:“I was really scared, to be honest!”