Joliet: $2 Million Needed To Resolve Overweight, Overlength Trucking Citation Litigation Against City

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet City Council will take a vote at Tuesday night's meeting calling for a budget amendment of $2 million to resolve "the city’s former procedures for issuing and adjudicating overweight and overlength trucking citations."

According to a memo from Joliet's corporation counsel Todd Lenzie, the issue goes back more than 10 years. He explained to the Council that the plaintiffs are seeking certification of a class consisting of all persons who, after January 1, 2015, received such a citation from the city of Joliet, encompassing a multi-year period of potential claimants.

Lenzie further noted that in the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision from 2024 of Cammacho v. City of Joliet, the Court concluded that while Joliet, as a home-rule municipality, had the authority to utilize administrative adjudication, the City nevertheless failed to follow its own ordinances when processing certain “reportable offenses.”

"The Court held that these offenses were required to be initiated by a uniform traffic citation and adjudicated in the circuit court rather than through the administrative hearing process," Lenzie's memo indicated. "Following extended litigation and negotiations with plaintiffs’ counsel, the parties reached a proposed settlement intended to fully resolve the consolidated actions.

"To implement this settlement, a budget amendment is required to authorize the necessary expenditure."

In closing, Lenzie noted that the accompanying Ordinance provides for this budget adjustment within the current fiscal year.