Our Daily Show Interview! South Roxana Mayor TJ Callahan- State of the Race '25
SOUTH ROXANA – South Roxana Mayor T.J. Callahan appeared on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to outline his achievements and vision for the village’s future as part of our State of the Race 2025 coverage of the April 1 elections.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“I always say that South Roxana has been a hard-working community, and we’ve made real progress despite [continuing] challenges,” Callahan said. “Unfortunately, some candidates are more focused on political games than real solutions.
“I want to continue on growth, I want to continue on the opportunity to make things better. We’ve got park grants that are out there, I’m in the process of trying to get Dollar General upgraded … I’m in the process of trying to get another gas station in there,” he said, adding that further development for new businesses is also underway in the community.
Callahan was appointed mayor in 2023 after former mayor Barbara Overton resigned. While Callahan’s name will be the only one listed on the ballot, Village Trustee Anna Broadfoot is challenging his re-election bid as a write-in candidate. Callahan denied false rumors circulating on social media that he had Broadfoot removed from the ballot, instead implying she failed to properly file her candidate paperwork on time.
Callahan said his opponent has cost the village thousands of dollars in legal fees by filing a lawsuit over several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests she claims have been ignored. Callahan said Broadfoot has overwhelmed the village’s small staff with an unreasonable number of FOIA requests, some of which he claimed were filed under false names.
After receiving just one FOIA request in 2023, the village’s number of FOIA requests totaled 276 in 2024. Callahan, who said Broadfoot could have requested village records from the Attorney General’s office for free, estimates that between lawyer fees and other expenses, the ordeal has cost the village $20,000 to $30,000.
By contrast, a number of infrastructure improvements have been made under Callahan’s first term, including South Roxana’s first-ever water line extension, updated sewer lift stations, and the villages’ first recreation center. He credited past mayoral administrations with their role in shaping the recreation center’s success.
“Everybody has had a hand in making sure that this has happened,” he said. “There have been so many people putting their hands on this, and that is what I love about this community center so much … it’s everybody working together.”
While South Roxana may not have a multi-million-dollar budget to fund all of its needed road repairs, Callahan emphasized the village regularly seeks grant opportunities and makes effective use of its resources. Recognizing the need for more road work to be done, he also emphasized the importance of making improvements beneath the surface.
“It’s not just replacing the roads – you’ve got all the old infrastructure underneath there,” Callahan said. “You can’t just say, ‘Hey, I’m going to layer out this road for $50,000,’ because then next week if a pipe breaks or something goes on there, you’re digging it right up.”
Under his administration, the village has also launched its first-ever official website at southroxana.org. Designed and hosted by Riverbender.com, Callahan said the new site makes resources for village residents easier than ever to access.
Whether Callahan wins or loses his re-election bid on April, he will never lose his dedication to the village.
“I’m not a politician – I’m a neighbor. I love our community,” Callahan said in closing. “If I win the election, I’m going to keep giving 120% into our village; if I don’t win, and people still need me, I’m still going to give that 120%.”
For more insights from Callahan, see his full State of the Race 2025 interview at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
More like this:
