The tension between the Bourbonnais Township board and Highway Commissioner Jason Diaz boiled over during Monday’s board meeting.

Diaz referred to the board as the “good old boys.” The crux of this comes from the man Diaz replaced last year following the general election, Steve Bisaillon.

Diaz campaigned in 2025 that Bisaillion misused the township’s gas credit card for his personal vehicles. While it was investigated, no charges were filed.

Despite winning the 2025 election, Diaz has kept up his claims of the “good old boy” board. While Supervisor Jeff Umphrey and trustees Frank Cianci and Matt Alexander are longtime board members, trustees Don Pallissard and Terry Pepin were elected in 2025.

“I think a couple board members may have voted for Jason,” Umphrey said in an interview last month.

In an interview with Diaz last month, he said township boards on average have many longtime serving board members.

“I knew coming in I was going to have an uphill battle to an extent. Townships are very unique forms of government,” Diaz explained. “Most people have no idea what they are and the unfortunate part with that is many of the people who’ve been in the township office for a very long time.”

Thus Diaz’s “good old boy” claim.

Diaz said this causes boards to have a set way of doing things.

“That whole process of this is how we always have done it has stuck. But just because this is how we always have done it does not make it right.”

It was Umphrey that brought up Diaz’s “good old boys” remark after the public comments portion of the meeting.

“Jason, I’ve got a comment that I want to make as a public citizen,” Umphrey said. “You were on a video or YouTube thing the other day talking about a house out in [Riverhaven], if I’m not mistaken, making accusations that the board is not doing what they’re supposed to do. So you understand there’s a process that goes through that. This isn’t a ready, shoot, aim, type thing.”

Umphrey said they have contacted Kankakee County officials, since the house is in county jurisdiction.

Pallissard said county officials are aware, and the state’s attorney’s office has an open case.

Diaz argued there is a state statute that allows townships the right to take action if the county does not.

Pallisard asked him what the statute was, and Diaz read him the statute.

Diaz countered that he was told by a county official this is a township matter.

Diaz made the Facebook post on June 10.

The house mentioned was destroyed in a 2018 fire. The property has remained an eyesore and a hazard, Diaz said, having posted a video and pictures.

Diaz said at Monday’s meeting residents in the subdivision ask him every time he is in the subdivision when the township will do something.

At one point, Umphrey said the way Diaz was dealing with this issue could have been done better.

“You’re making [these] videos making accusations and comments about the board that are really unprofessional,” Umphrey said.

Diaz said he had received an email referring to the board as “good old boys.”

“‘Good old boys’ is not unprofessional,” Diaz said.

Board attorney Sean Conway said the board is following the proper procedure.

“I just want to step in and clarify the legal process,” Conway said.

“So what that statute provides is if you have a property that’s unsafe, that’s abandoned, the township can make the request to the county board, but the county board has to decline that request.

“In this situation, it appears as though the county is acting on it.”

Following the exchange, the board voted to approve a revised road district Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

The board tabled the vote at the May 18 meeting. They wanted a more detailed budget to see where the funds were going.