GOODWILL TWP.- Residents of Goodwill Township gathered Tuesday night for the township’s first annual meeting, held shortly after polls closed for the township election.
The meeting began at 8:30 p.m. at the Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade hall and was also streamed online for residents unable to attend in person.
Three supervisors were elected without opposition. John Jordan was elected to a one-year term, Rock Gillson to a two-year term, and Bill Michelson to a three-year term. A total of 37 ballots were cast, including 15 absentee ballots.
Voters also approved what township officials referred to as “Option B,” which allows the township to hire a clerk and treasurer rather than elect them. Those positions would no longer be required to live within the township.
Road responsibilities were among the more substantive operational topics discussed during the meeting. Jordan provided a report outlining the township’s evolving role as it transitions from unorganized township status.
According to Jordan, St. Louis County agreed to plow all public roads in Goodwill Township during the 2025–26 winter season at no cost to the township. The arrangement reflects the fact that county taxes had already been collected for those services before the township was organized.
Looking ahead, most roads in the township will remain under St. Louis County maintenance. Jordan said the county has agreed to revert most of the former unorganized township roads back to county responsibility.
The township will assume responsibility for maintaining Niles Bay Forestry Road and Randa Road. Jordan said the township has already begun exploring contracts for grading those roads.
“I reached out to two companies for quotes on grading for 2026,” Jordan said. “The quote I received was for $2,500 per grading. The contractor recommended grading three to four times over the summer season, but we can have them do it more if it’s needed.”
Jordan encouraged residents who live along those roads to contact him if problems arise.
“Call me if your road needs attention, just so I’m aware of it and can take the proper steps,” he said. “If I don’t know, I can’t do anything about it.”
Budget planning was another major topic of discussion, particularly because the township is still developing its first full set of financial records following its recent organization.
Michelson explained that the lack of historical financial data has made preparing a precise budget difficult.
“After 58 years in business, I’ve never done two budgets in a row and not have enough information to do a budget,” Michelson said. “We don’t have any history yet, but we believe this is a very good estimate.”
Preliminary projections presented during the meeting show a proposed 2027 levy that is approximately 18.7 percent lower than the current levy, although Michelson cautioned that the figure could change as more information becomes available.
Uncertainty about road maintenance costs is one of the factors still affecting the township’s estimates, including the possibility of culvert work on township roads.
Residents were also invited to share input on a variety of operational topics that will ultimately be decided by the board of supervisors. Those included polling hours, meeting locations for the township board, official posting sites for township notices, and continued use of interactive technology to stream meetings.
During that discussion, Jordan noted that township notices have been published in both the Cook News Herald and the Timberjay in order to reach as many township residents as possible.
Gillson also provided a brief report on the possibility of creating an official township logo. He said only a few design ideas have been submitted so far and encouraged residents to share suggestions.
“We opened it up for submissions,” Gillson said. “If anybody has an interest in a logo or even a concept for a logo that would portray Goodwill Township, let us know and we’ll start working on it.”
Don Potter, a longtime member of the Cook Hospital district board, also provided a brief update on hospital operations. He said the hospital currently employs roughly 105 to 110 full-time equivalent staff and is working toward replacing aging boilers in the facility.
The meeting concluded with a motion to recess rather than adjourn the annual meeting so that residents can reconvene later this year to finalize the township’s levy and budget.
Supervisors plan to reconvene the meeting in September, with another meeting about a month earlier to give residents a chance to review and discuss the proposed budget before it is finalized.