New Elwood Village President Todd Matichak Quits: WJOL

The voters of Elwood elected Todd Matichak into political office back in April thinking he would represent their community's interests, but he has decided he is not cut out for the job. On Thursday morning, the Scott Slocum Morning Show broke the news that Matichak is resigning from office in Elwood. "I made this decision solely in what's best for myself and my family. It was a very difficult and emotional decision," Matichak informed 1340 WJOL in a prepared statement.

Matichak's decision comes on the heels of Elwood's ongoing dilemma of whether to approve or reject plans for the NorthPoint development, a $1.2 billion industrial logistics park proposed on roughly 2,200 acres around Elwood. There has been a huge outcry of opposition from people in the Elwood area who say that enough is enough, the Joliet area can't tolerate more heavy-truck traffic on its aging roads.

As for Matichak, he was elected as Elwood village president back in April, garnering 57 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent William Offerman. On Thursday morning, WJOL aired a previous interview it had done with Matichak where he told the Joliet radio station he would not vote in favor of NorthPoint if the project were up to him to make the final decision.

Matichak's resignation also occurs just days before Elwood is set to hold a public hearing on the NorthPoint project. That meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 19 at Village Hall, 401 East Mississippi Avenue.

"This is a public hearing and vote specifically related to the annexation and rezoning of 14 parcels in Jackson Township related to Northpoint’s efforts to implement their plan. Invite your friends, neighbors, family. Bring your whole family! A strong show of concerned constituents is very important at this time. Please pass the word to friends and family concerned about where this community is headed," notes the No2NorthPointe website.

NorthPoint also has its own website that touts all of the wonderful aspects of the mega logistics development that it wants to bring to Elwood, the small village about five miles south of Joliet.

Image via Village of Elwood