Brian Meyer, Angela Kroeger, Robin Imburgia, Gregory A. Oseland, Scott M. Overbeck and David Tegeler are competing in the April 1 election for three open seats on the Teutopolis village board.
Meyer, 46, is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
Imburgia, 34, is a wife and mother of four, and secretary at Imburgia Law. She earned a degree in Licensed Practical Nursing.
Overbeck, 47, is a corporate security officer for Flex-N-Gate Effingham. He is a graduate of Teutopolis High School.
Tegeler, 62, works in facilities maintenance and vendor management on nine buildings for local bank. He is a graduate of Teutopolis High School.
The Effingham Daily News asked the candidates to answer the questions below. Kroeger and Oseland did not respond.
List any public service or other experience that would help you serve as a trustee:
Meyer: Teutopolis Unit 50 School Board.
Imburgia: Recently, I joined the Teutopolis for Tomorrow education committee.
Overbeck: 25-year member of Effingham Elks Lodge #1016, Exalted Ruler (CEO) April 2023 – 2025.
Tegeler: I have served 20 years on the village board previously. I have also served on the finance, health and safety, and water and streets committee for the village board. I am additionally a member of the infrastructure committee. Outside of the village board, I manage vendors and contracts for nine facilities at work. My experience being involved in the budget decisions for growth is beneficial for the village.
Why are you running?
Meyer: I am glad to have raised my family in the wonderful community we call Teutopolis. I have lived outside of the village for most of my life which has not allowed me to run for the town board. Now that I live in town, I feel I have the opportunity to give my time in an effort to grow and expand the community.
Imburgia: I want to be a part of positive change to the Village of Teutopolis Board
Overbeck: There are new issues the board is dealing with that will affect the future of Teutopolis. These issues deserve the attention of someone like me who called Teutopolis home their whole life. It’s all about where we have been and how we got there.
Tegeler: The village has experienced a lot of growth in the last 10 years. I want to make sure we are replacing outdated infrastructure to handle that growth. Making sure our TIF funds are being used wisely is a top priority of mine.
What is the most pressing issue facing Teutopolis and how would you address it?
Meyer: I would not say there is a pressing issue in Teutopolis. In my opinion, Teutopolis is a great place to live and raise a family, and I would like to make sure it stays a great place for future generations.
Imburgia: In my opinion, a pressing issue would be passing laws that dictate what people can or can’t do with their own property. I would address this issue by avoiding unnecessary restrictions on residents and the use of their own property.
Overbeck: Expansion versus infrastructure is the issue. Expansion proposals will have to prove to be an asset to the Community and not a financial or social burden to garner my support and vote.
Tegeler: Cast iron water line replacement and drainage issues throughout the village need the most attention. We secured a $1,000,000 grant for replacement of cast iron water lines. This year we are applying for that same grant with our engineers on another phase.
What’s more important for Teutopolis right now: Building new homes and commercial space or rehabbing/expanding/better utilizing our existing homes and storefronts?
Meyer: The existing buildings in town are for the most part in full use. Building new homes and commercial spaces would help with the growth of the village.
Imburgia: Both are important, however, correcting current issues with existing homes and storefronts, while maintaining the Village’s rich history, should be the focus prior to expansion.
Overbeck: I will prioritize upgrading and replacing current infrastructure to support our current residents and businesses, and possible future growth.
Tegeler: New homes and new commercial buildings should be top priority. There are very few old, dilapidated buildings in the village to revamp. I support helping current and new businesses with TIF funds when possible.
How do you plan to involve residents in decision making in Teutopolis?
Meyer: Teutopolis has an active community, and I look forward to working with the many community groups including Teutopolis for Tomorrow, Teutopolis Community for Progress, Teutopolis Sportsbackers and Teutopolis Unit 50 School Board.
Imburgia: I would encourage people to attend as many of the village board meetings that they can. Active communication with homeowners and business owners regarding the issues they face and potential solutions to correct those issues is the only way to ensure successful change for the Village of Teutopolis.
Overbeck: I will routinely talk to residents, village employees and business owners to get their perspective on issues. I look forward to seeing the input from the recent community survey. I’m not opposed to placing a referendum on the ballot concerning high impact, long-term issues.
Tegeler: The comprehensive plan is one way we are getting the input from the village residents. I feel that good communication is a priority with taxing bodies when doing new projects like the Oak St. project.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for the village any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
Meyer: A one-million-dollar grant is a large sum of taxpayer money. With the ever-increasing cost of living, it would be nice to give every resident a well-deserved break in their property taxes.
Imburgia: The most important thing to focus on would be fiscal responsibility. This is where involving residents in decision making becomes important. We need to listen to the community and prioritize their needs/wants. I also would allocate a portion of the funds to the Teutopolis Park District. With only 3.1% of our property taxes going to the park district and an increase with minimum wage, our program fees have drastically increased. Keeping these programs in our community at a reasonable cost is important for our children.
Overbeck: I would vote to use money to accelerate the upgrades to our aged water and sewer system.
Tegeler: I would use the money to replace old cast iron water lines left in the ground. Leaving those old lines could be a health and safety issue for the village and its residents. We are down to the last 20,000 lineal ft. of cast left to replace. The million dollar grant we received last will get over one third of them upgraded, and I would want to finish the rest.
Why should residents vote for you?
Meyer: My goal is to keep Teutopolis a model community for all the neighboring towns and villages to envy.
Imburgia: I was born and raised in Teutopolis and now raising my four kids here as well. I hope to continue and strengthen the Village of Teutopolis’ reputation and vision to provide a bright future for all Teutopolis residents and business owners. I will bring an open mind to the table, so that the best and most effective communication can happen for successful changes.
Overbeck: Every decision I make and every vote I cast will be for the improvement of life for the residents of Teutopolis, based upon the conservative, small-town values that shaped me as a lifetime resident. If elected, I will make sure all voices will be heard, hold myself with the highest level of character, integrity and dignity.
Tegeler: Since I’ve been on the board, we have spent over two million dollars replacing cast water lines with PVC pipes, upgraded several blocks of sewer line, built a new maintenance building, and built a new village hall. All of those we were able to do with funds on hand. I helped design and construct a 59-lot subdivision. I also implemented a mapping software for managing and locating underground infrastructure. While on the board, we switched engineering firms and secured over 2 million in grants over the last four years. I am constantly working with village engineers on grants and funding for new projects. I am involved in all projects as well as planning and identifying expenses coming down the road. I would like your vote, so that I can continue to be a part of the progressive growth of the village.