If municipal election outcomes are any indication of resident satisfaction, Monee voters are very happy with their village right now.
Incumbent Mayor Therese Bogs swept into a second term on April 1, with 728 votes (91.34 percent of the ballots cast), easily defeating challenger Doneshia Codjoe, who garnered just 69 votes (8.66 percent).
Also in that election, village clerk candidate Michelle Powell-Johnson tallied 716 votes. She was unopposed for that position.
In the trustees’ race, incumbents John Henson (565 votes), Doug Horne (529), and Charles Rakis (480) won re-election to four-year terms
Newcomer Sharon Golden trailed with 282 votes.
The mayoral campaign was a troubled one, marked by the arrest of Codjoe and her husband, Ebenezer, for alleged loan fraud, tax fraud, wire fraud, and theft from a church or school.
According to Illinois State Police, the arrests followed a 2024 investigation requested after the Monee Police Department received information about alleged fraud related to federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Codjoe, a two-term Monee Village Clerk, also came under fire for the loss of local early voting sites because of missteps she might have made in the verification of the Early Voting Registration Application Box for the 2023 election.
Codjoe did not respond to the loan fraud charges, but she did say the “entire early voting process…was a complete political ploy.
“I never received anything stating there was a reason why early voting was removed, and (the Will County Clerk) validating that no laws, ordinances, or State Statutes were broken/violated, made this more ‘political’ and made it more harder for seniors and our residents to cast their voice by vote,” she said when the issue surfaced earlier this year.
Codjoe did not acknowledge or respond to a request for comment about the election outcome.
Mayor Bogs said she is relieved the campaign is finished.
“I am glad the election is over so we can continue with the progress in Monee that is already underway,” she said.
“Having the vote of confidence from the residents of Monee is quite an honor. My foundation is one of servant leadership, and I am humbled the residents have embraced me, and I am so proud of our team and the board of trustees for working together as well as we do for the village.
“Ultimately, my goal is to ensure our community remains a place where people want to live, work, and raise their families. I believe in our village’s potential, and I am dedicated to continuing the progress we have made together.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported me through this campaign season in all the different ways, big and small, that they did,” she added.
“It is my honor and pleasure to serve the Village of Monee.”