Frankfort Mayor Warns of New Threats to Local Zoning Control

Frankfort Village Board Meeting | June 15, 2026

Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle

Article Summary: During his report on Monday, June 15, 2026, Mayor Keith Ogle told the Frankfort Village Board that state and county proposals affecting local zoning and housing authority could resurface, including the BUILD Act and a Will County land bank bill.

Local Control Watch Key Points:

• Ogle said the state BUILD Act, which would have stripped local zoning control over housing, failed amid statewide opposition from mayors.
• Frankfort’s board passed a resolution opposing the measure on April 6, and Ogle submitted a letter through the Will County Governmental League.
• He warned the proposal could return during the fall veto session and pointed to House Bill 4571, a Will County land bank bill.
• The board expects to investigate the land bank measure and likely take a position alongside other communities.

FRANKFORT — Mayor Keith Ogle used a portion of his report on Monday, June 15, 2026, to alert residents to legislation he said could erode the village’s authority over zoning and housing decisions, signaling the board may formally weigh in.

Ogle said the BUILD Act, a state bill discussed in recent months, would have preempted local zoning control and taken away residents’ ability to decide what is built in their neighborhoods. That measure did not advance, he said, because of overwhelming opposition from mayors across the state. Frankfort’s board passed a resolution in opposition on April 6, 2026, and Ogle said he submitted a letter alongside other mayors through the Will County Governmental League.

The mayor cautioned that the issue is not settled. He pointed to a Senate veto session scheduled for November 17 and 18 and additional dates December 1 through 3, and said it is “fully expected” the concept will resurface in some form.

Ogle then flagged a measure he described as hitting closer to home: House Bill 4571, a Will County land bank bill. As he described it, the legislation would grant new powers to some of the larger Illinois counties — Will County among them — to create and support housing projects and developments without local control, potentially overriding municipal decisions. He likened the mechanism to the way the state preempted local authority over solar development. The board, he said, will investigate the bill further and will probably take a position in coordination with the county and the state.

The remarks were informational, and no formal action on either measure was taken at the June 15 meeting.