Antioch imposes tag day restrictions

Responding to resident complaints and questions about charitable groups soliciting at intersections, Antioch village officials have approved new rules for groups running tag-day events in town.

"We needed to get this fixed," trustee Dennis Crosby said. "We needed to bring things in line and make sure fair and reasonable contributions keep flowing in our area."

Crosby said a growing number of residents expressed concerns about safety, frequency and the legitimacy of some groups holding collection buckets at major intersections.

"We were getting requests from downstate groups nobody has ever heard of," Crosby said. "Not only were they coming up three and four times a month, you never really knew were the money was going."

The new regulations, approved by the village board Monday, restrict charitable groups with headquarters beyond a 15-mile circumference of Antioch. However, major, national, charitable groups would be allowed. Crosby said the American Red Cross would be an example.

In addition, the tag day season will only run from April to November, with a maximum of two different collection events per month. Citing safety concerns, soliciting will not be allowed on roads that are under construction. All requests must be made by the end of March, Crosby said.

"This is legal and not discriminatory," Crosby said. "We never had a clear policy. Now we do."