East Central Reporter

A former trustee of the Oakland Fire Protection District, Kyley Willison, used public funds to pay personal insurance bills, according to records from the Coles County State’s Attorney. Willison made 11 payments to Pekin Insurance totaling $4,083.75, 11 payments to Nationwide for $2,394.66, and five payments to Cinfin Life Insurance amounting to $1,179.23.

The investigation into Willison's spending found that he used the district’s credit card for these transactions. Questions remain about whether any of these charges resulted in additional commissions for Willison, who worked in the insurance industry. However, investigators did not examine potential commission earnings beyond reviewing the credit card statements.

Willison pleaded guilty to illegal use of public funds and is currently meeting his restitution obligations. His father, Jerry Willison—also a former trustee of the fire protection district—faces multiple felony counts and is scheduled for trial in November. As a trustee, Jerry Willison was responsible for overseeing financial transactions but allegedly failed in this duty while his son misused district funds. Some illegal expenditures reportedly benefited Jerry during his ownership of a golf course co-owned with Kyley in Oakland.

Additionally, Shirley Willison—Kyley's mother and Jerry's wife—recently resigned as treasurer of the Oakland School District after being paid $1,600 annually for her work. She also serves as Oakland Township Assessor and reportedly allowed her son's home to go without property assessments for several years while her own assessed property value decreased over time.

Updates on further developments regarding Kyley Willison’s misuse of public funds are expected in future reports.