Voters approve merger of 3 southwest Illinois towns

CAHOKIA, Ill. (AP) - Voters in three small towns in southwest Illinois have approved their communities' merger into one city so they can secure more federal funding to improve infrastructure, according to unofficial returns.

The proposal approved Tuesday is the second of a four-phase 'œBetter Together'ť campaign to merge Cahokia, Alorton and Centreville, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

Curtis McCall Sr., the supervisor of Centreville Township and a supporter of the merger, said he feels optimistic about the future of the new city they are calling 'œCahokia Heights.'ť

Local officials have touted the benefits of the proposed merger, citing severe population decline in the three towns. In the past 10 years, Cahokia has had the steepest population decline, with a loss of about 9% of its residents.

A merged city with a larger population would lead to more federal funding that would be used to fix poor infrastructure, according to city leaders.

McCall said the next steps include educating the 2,650 residents (about 37% of voters) who didn't support the merger. About 61% of voters, or 4,428, approved the measure.

Illinois State Board of Elections will certify the results from local election officials on Dec. 4.