Proviso Township, Ill (ECWd) –
It has been brought to our attention that Proviso Township Trustee, and Village of Bellwood Fire and Police Commissioner Gay F. Chase has purchased a new home and moved to Land O Lakes, Florida.
Chase has an outstanding history of public service, retiring as a Federal Administrative Judge with 37 years of federal service, among other notable things.
Both a Township Trustee and a Fire and Police Commissioner have residency requirements. Residency is established in part based on the “intent” of the person to make a permanent residency – such as registering to vote, home ownership or lease, business registration, vehicle and driver licenses, etc.
- Chase is registered to vote in Cook County, Illinois, at the location of one of the houses she recently sold (see this)
- Chase signed a lease for a basement apartment in Bellwood, IL. in January 2026
- Chase changed her business registration with the Attorney Registration and Discipline Commission to reflect her new home in Land O Lakes Florida (here)
- Chase registered to vote on June 16, 2025, at her Florida home (here)
- Chase was granted a $76,411 homeowners’ exemption consisting of $51,411 (non-school) and $25,000 (school) because she apparently indicated she resided in the Florida home (here), as this exemption is available only for a property owner’s primary permanent residence under Florida law
- Chase attended the March 2, 2026, Township Board meeting remotely, and voted to pay bills (here)
Public records indicate Chase sold both of her Illinois houses (one in 2025 and one in 2026), and purchased a house in Florida (2025).
Under 60 ILCS 1/55-5, township trustees must actually reside (maintain domicile) within the township. A rental lease is one piece of evidence, but the combination of the Florida primary-residence claims (homestead exemption + voter registration + ARDC business registration), the sale of her Illinois homes, and limited physical attendance at Board meetings (e.g., absent February 2, 2026; remote March 2, 2026) raises a serious question about whether the Bellwood address is her true primary domicile.
