About Me

          My name is John Oltmann, commonly called "Johnny O" by friends and family.  My story started in 1949. My family moved to the Village of Worden in 1962.  I started 8th grade at Village of Worden Junior High School and later graduated from Village of Worden High School in 1967. While attending high school, I participated in high school sports and played on the school baseball team for all four years, and I played high school basketball for one year.  
          After graduating high school, I majored in Business Administration at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. While attending SIU, I played as a catcher on the SIU college baseball team for two years. In the spring of 1969, I was offered the opportunity to try out for the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball teams. Still, this opportunity was impossible because I was drafted into the U.S. Military due to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam Conflict.   
         In December 1969, after being drafted into the U.S. Army, I received my basic training at the U.S. Army Base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for basic artillery crewman (MOS 13A10) in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After completing military training, I was transferred overseas to a 1st Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany, and later, I was reassigned to Vietnam. I served the remainder of my military service in the Vietnam combat zone. I was discharged from the U.S. Army on October 5, 1971, and returned to the Village of Worden, Illinois.
         Upon returning from overseas, I met my wife, Betty Jo Brunnworth, and we were married on December 5, 1976; during our marriage, we raised two daughters, Sara and Carrie. Later, I was employed as a police officer in the Village of Worden, Illinois, from 1974-1978.  I was later hired by the Southern Illinois University Police Department, where I was employed from 1978 to 2003. I later retired with 31 years of service, achieving the rank of Captain, responsible for supervising the patrol division. During my term of employment with SIU Police Department, I attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy's 13-week advanced police training program, which I graduated with the 171st session. This is a rare opportunity for a police officer, through the vetting process, to be accepted to attend and graduate from this prestigious training program that includes police personnel from all over the world.  While also working as a police officer, I continued my education and completed my bachelor's degree in Police Management and a Master's Degree in Public Administration.    
         After retiring from the Southern Illinois University Police Department in 2003, while continuing to live in the Village of Worden, I accepted a position as a part-time police officer with the Worden Police Department, offering my knowledge and experience. I retained this position until 2021.
         While living in the Village of Worden in 1971, I became a member of American Legion Post 564 and later was voted post commander, which I held on two occasions. I am also a member of VFW Post 1308, Alton, Illinois, and attend St Michael's Catholic Church, Staunton, Illinois.  
         My issue with the Village of Worden Mayor Preston Hall and the village board and my decision to run for public office involved a vacant parcel of land I own on Rutledge Street, Village of Worden, Illinois. I purchased the property due to the previous owner's delinquent unpaid taxes, which the Madison County Tax Accessors were selling. After purchasing the vacant lot, half of which is located in the Village of Worden, and the other  half of the property is in Madison County. The dividing line between the village and Madison County runs in the middle of the property. After purchasing the property, I placed a 40-foot cargo container on the property for personal storage. After several years, I was requested to meet with the village board members and was requested to plant trees or shrubs to obscure the container, to which I voluntarily agreed.  At the time, five similar cargo containers were located at residences within the Village of Worden. However, no action was taken against these individuals or requests to plant trees or shrubs; it was based on the selective decision to enforce a village ordinance against me and advise me that the other residents had been granted permission to have the cargo containers on their property. 

         On September 24, 2021, I was issued an ordinance violation for the "Specifically Prohibited Use" offense involving the placement of the cargo container.  Again, none of the other five individuals with similar cargo containers located on their property in the Village of Worden were issued an ordinance violation involving the placement of the cargo containers. 

         This ordinance violation offense was filed in Madison County Courts, Edwardsville, Illinois, on October 1, 2021.  Based on the ordinance violation, I was terminated from my part-time position as a police officer with the Village of Worden Police Department by Chief of Police Joe Berry, who falsely notified the Illinois Department of Police Training and Standard Board, which regulates police training and licenses, that I was separated from the police department for the offense of committing a felony violation.  This situation left me with the issue of defending myself in Madison County Courts for the ordinance violation and with the Illinois Training and Standards Board with the false allegations that I had committed a felony while employed as a police officer. During my termination from the Village of Worden Police Department by Chief Joe Berry, I was denied any appeal or hearing with the Village of Worden Police and Fire Commission per the Illinois statute involving the reason for termination. This action of my termination demonstrated an abuse of power and political gaslighting by the elected officials in the Village of Worden and a violation of my rights involving due process by these elected officials.    
          The issue involving my police certification hearing was scheduled with the Illinois Department of Police Training and Standard Board. On that same date, the matter involving the allegations was scheduled for a hearing and sworn depositions. Chief Joe Berry was required to provide testimony and supporting documents of criminal complaints to support the allegation of the felony offense as the reason for termination.  Chief Joe Berry resigned on the morning of the scheduled hearing from the Village of Worden Police Department as the Chief of Police, making himself unavailable to provide the required sworn testimony.  After the required documents were correctly submitted before the Illinois Police Training and Standards Board, indicating that the offense was a local ordinance violation, my law enforcement certification to work as a police officer was reinstated. 

          The issue of the ordinance violation in the Village of Worden was filed in Madison County Courts, and the village was represented by Attorney James Schrempf, and Attorney Calvin Fuller represented me.  After the ordinance violation was filed, I requested through my attorney for a jury trial; the Village Attorney, as represented by the court docket, filed forty-six motions, which included requests for continuations for the scheduled trial date between October 1, 2021, and November 6, 2023, at the conclusion Attorney James Schempf dismissed the ordinance violation case. All of these appearances by Attorney James Schrempf and his legal fees representing the Village of Worden were paid by citizens of the Village of Worden at a rate of several hundred dollars per hour. I was never compensated for missed wages or the wrongful termination or legal expenses to challenge the matter, which involved half of the vacant property I owned located on Ruthledge, Village of Worden, Illinois, where the cargo container is located is in Madison County and was not annexed into the Village of Worden (Map attached showing Madison County and Village of Worden property lines) which I was never allowed to present during a jury trial. Madison County has no ordinance prohibiting the use of cargo containers on this parcel of land. 

          The vacant property I purchased is located directly across from the street from Village Board Member Susan (Loemker) Myers parcel of land, a family member of Mayor Preston Hall. Susan (Loemker) Myer, during this time, constructed a triplex apartment unit which is located on a parcel of land at the intersection of Botterman Street and Ruthledge Street, Village of Worden, Illinois. The building zoning during the construction required the apartment complex property to maintain fifty percent green space on the parcel of land, including grass and landscaping. To maintain low maintenance, Susan (Loemker) Myers installed the complete parcel of land as a gravel parking lot. Based on this zoning violation, no ordinance violations or court summons have been issued to Susan (Loemker) Myer for violation of the required fifty percent greenspace, creating a depreciation in real estate values for the adjacent homeowners.  Also located across the street is a similar parcel of land developed into an apartment complex that was purchased and developed by Susan (Loemker) Myers. This development occurred after the Village of Worden denied the River of Life Church a zoning variance for construction. The development of both apartment complexes has created significant value increases for the vacant lot that I own if someone was attempting to take the property through political gaslighting and if they had someone in the local government to assist in acquiring a zoning variance to construct another apartment complex on my parcel of land.

         Susan (Loemker) Myers also has a parcel of land at 208 Main Street, Village of Worden, Illinois. A residence was removed, and the parcel of land was again covered in gravel to create a parking area. The parcel of land in a residential area is used for commercial parking of large trucks, and industrial equipment.  The property is zoned as residential, but zoning violations have not been issued to Susan (Loemker) Myers, a family member of Mayor Preston Hall, identifying this as a zoning violation of using residential property for commercial use.  Again, the use of the parcel of land devalues the adjoining property owner's home values. I believe this property needs to be restored to residential use and converted back to green space.     
         During this trying period of these court actions in my life, my wife, Betty Jo Brunnworth – Oltmann passed away on November 15, 2022, after 44 years of marriage; she remained supportive of my decisions to fight these injustices brought against me during all these legal proceedings.   
         My legal issues with the Village of Worden have yet to end. After deciding to run for the position of Village Trustee, I was notified that my mother's family home, which I inherited located at 412 East Donnewald, Village of Worden, was being scheduled for demolition because it was considered abandoned.  

         This will be another legal matter that I will challenge in Madison County Courts to again stop the political gaslighting and sale of properties and preserve my mother's memories and the family home. I have not learned if this parcel of land where my mother's house is located is being rezoned for a variance to construct additional apartments again. 
         I recognize the steps I take to challenge these issues of abuse of power involving these ordinance disputes. I seem to walk alone, banging a drum. I am the only person who challenged the matter and requested a jury trial. I recognize that I am the only voice to challenge the current mayor and trustees. Still, to maintain an honest government and the potential of a slippery slope of political decisions for personal gain by politicians, voices need to be heard, and other individuals need to step forward either to challenge or by right of voting to remove these elected officials and this type of conduct. It requires changing the elected officials and thinning out the political bloodline of nepotism of family members appointed by Mayor Preston Hall, such as Susan (Loemker) Myer – a family member, and Bobby Foster – a family member of the village board. This can be done with your vote for a more transparent form of government.

     Susan (Loemker) Myer is a Trustee and the Village of Worden Police Commissioner. Mayor Preston Hall, a family member, appointed her to both positions. Susan (Loemker) Myer has received a business license from the Village of Worden to operate a residential rental business licensed as AAA Rental, LLC, which purchases abandoned properties in the Village of Worden, Il. Susan (Loemker) Myer is currently renting a cargo containers at 726 Main Street, Village of Worden, Illinois, where an individual lives inside one without running water or sewer connections in violation of Madison County Health Department Requirements. The Worden Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Barbara Wheat, who works under Police Commissioner Susan (Loemker) Myer, has failed to enforce the Village of Worden ordinance and prohibit this conduct. The individual living in the cargo container is allegedly a maintenance employee for Susan (Loemker)Myer's residential rental company. The individual living in the cargo container has installed a mailbox to receive residential mail deliveries from the Village of Worden United States Post Office and has the address 727 Main Street, Village of Worden, which Madison County tax records identify as a vacant parcel of land, owned by AAA Rental LLC..  

     During my ordinance violation court hearings, I was told my actions violated the Village of Worden's ordinances to store my personal belongings in a storage container, but based on Susan (Loekmer)Myers's actions, it would have been permissible for me to live in the storage container. (Photographs attached)         

         During this election, I will submit Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests that outline this type of conduct, which will include all previous legal fees paid to Attorney James Schrempf involving my court hearing, which I will provide for all members of the community to view and understand the current elected official's actions and use of tax dollars for legal fees to assist in your decision in selecting their candidates on April 1st, 2025.    
         I request your support in voting for me as a Village of Worden Trustee. If I cannot secure your vote, I appreciate your taking the time to read my concerns and my decisions to run for public office. In the absence of your support for Village Trustee, hopefully, I can be remembered in your prayers to offer me strength in my current legal challenge of the Village of Worden decision to demolish my mother's residence and family memories located at 412 East Donnewald, Village of Worden, Illinois, this decision to demolish the residence was decided without any notification from the Village of Worden to me after I publicly announced my decision to be a candidate for the position of Trustee in the Village of Worden.