Get to know the people making decisions. Follow what matters. Find your way to take part.
A recurring problem deserves a clear record and the right route forward. Start with a concern, then see how review and community petitions can work.
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Concerns are reviewed for evidence, urgency, and the office able to help.
A clear request, documented delivery, and an update when an office responds.
Start with Joliet’s City Council. Explore each office, its responsibilities, and when it next appears on the ballot.
Mayor
2027 ballot
District 1
2027 ballot
District 2
2027 ballot
District 3
2027 ballot
District 4
2027 ballot
District 5
2027 ballot
At-large
2029 ballot
At-large
2029 ballot
At-large
2029 ballotCity Council meetings are open to everyone. Residents can attend in person and speak during public comment on the issues that matter to their block, their family, and their city.
Schedule, agendas, minutes and video from the City of Joliet’s official meeting calendar. Meetings can change, so confirm with the city before you go.
Get the background, read the source material, and understand where residents can participate.
Understand the policing findings, the official responses, and the public record behind reform.
Explore the issueFollow major projects, council decisions, and the questions that affect your neighborhood.
Explore the issueFind the right place for street, lighting, property, and other local service concerns.
Explore the issueLocal decisions. Clearer context. Sources you can open.
The state documented unlawful policing patterns. Read the findings, the city’s response, and the questions that follow.
Open the case fileA grant-supported effort will target impaired driving, speeding, and other traffic violations through September 2027.
The city announced Brown’s permanent appointment following his service as interim chief.
November 16–23 is the announced filing window for mayor and five district council positions.
Extra money the City of Joliet added to its 2025 legal budget, with the Eric Lurry police-custody death lawsuit in view · 2025
We agree: THIS SHOULD NOT EXIST. TRAIN. EXPECT. VERIFY TRAINING. PROMOTE/FIRE.
General and local elections are different. Find official registration, ballot, and voting-location information for your county.
Build your voting planFind agendas, minutes, and recordings. See the record behind local decisions.
Find meeting resourcesLearn the difference between city, township, county, state, and federal responsibilities.
Understand local governmentChoose the right route for a police report, misconduct complaint, or civil-rights concern.
See reporting routesUnderstand FOIA and find the public body that holds the records you need.
Explore public records
Community guideJoliet Technology Center: Approval, lawsuit and advisory ballot questionThe Joliet City Council approved the proposed $20 billion Joliet Technology Center data center campus in 2026. This guide covers the project, a ruling in residents’ lawsuit and Joliet Township’s advisory ballot question on AI data centers.Read the guide
Community guide | Development and accountabilityJoliet Data Center Guide: Public Meetings, Jobs and the Council VoteUnderstand the Joliet Technology Center proposal, its March 19, 2026 council approval, public meetings and residents' concerns. This guide separates 7,000-10,000 projected union construction jobs from approximately 700 projected permanent onsite jobs and preserves the source article's unresolved questions.Read the guide
Community guideBob O’Dekirk’s public record and a possible 2027 mayoral runA community guide to WJOL’s reporting of a possible 2027 mayoral run, Rosa Hernandez’s supplied remarks and Bob O’Dekirk’s police history. It reviews the force allegations, his reported responses, the state-police no-charge outcome and civil settlement, with sources checked November 5, 2026.Read the guide
Local governmentRosa Hernandez on Joliet's Fire and Police Board: Service and Selected VotesRosa Hernandez served on Joliet's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners from April 2021 to May 2023. This guide covers her appointment, selected police promotion votes, 2023 City Council campaign and departure, with context on how the appointed board shapes public safety staffing.Read the guidePolice accountabilityHow to file a complaint about the Joliet Police DepartmentYou can file a complaint about any Joliet Police Department employee in person, by phone or online. This guide explains how to file, what happens next and what the Illinois Attorney General’s office reported about the process.Read the guideCivil rights & policing guideIllinois Attorney General findings on Joliet police: discrimination, disability and forceA plain-language guide to the Illinois Attorney General's December 2024 findings on the Joliet Police Department: race and sex discrimination, treatment of people with behavioral health disabilities, use of force and accountability, with the official figures and sources.Read the guideCivil rights & policing guideThe Illinois Attorney General's findings on the Joliet Police Department, explained (original version)In December 2024, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General released a 158-page report after a three-year investigation of the Joliet Police Department. This guide summarizes what the report found, what it means, and how residents can read it, discuss it and stay engaged.Read the guideCity government guideThe Mayor of Joliet: what the office does and how city leadership worksA nonpartisan look at the Mayor of Joliet: how the office fits into Joliet's council-manager government, what the mayor can and cannot do alone, and when the seat is next on the ballot.Read the guideCivil rights & policing guideThe Illinois Attorney General's findings on the Joliet Police Department, explainedIn December 2024, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General released a 158-page report after a three-year investigation of the Joliet Police Department. This guide summarizes what the report found, what it means, and how residents can read it, discuss it and stay engaged.Read the guideVoting guideHow to vote in Joliet: registration, early voting and Election DayA plain, nonpartisan walkthrough for Joliet residents: which county runs your election, how to register, the three ways to vote, and where to confirm every detail with official sources.Read the guideCommunity guideSpanish Community Center: Joliet's bilingual one-stop shop for familiesFor more than 50 years, the Spanish Community Center has helped Joliet families with early childhood education, social services, immigration help and adult classes, in English and Spanish, and for residents of every background.Read the guide
Public records and accountability guideJoliet FOIA Complaints and Public Records: What Residents Should KnowJoliet has faced documented FOIA disputes involving residents and local journalists, including an appellate attorney-fee decision and a binding Attorney General opinion on police-report redactions. This guide explains what those records establish, who handles requests, how to challenge denials and what remains unknown about resident satisfaction.Read the guideOpen all guidesSee every community guide in one place.View all Built around residents. Grounded in sources. Joliet Votes is an independent civic information website, unaffiliated with the City of Joliet or its police department.
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