The Township Files · October surprise
Bourbonnais Township Assessor Doug Anderson had one job Wednesday morning: thank his buddy “Steve” for “the contribution.” Instead, at 7:55 a.m., the voicemail landed on the phone of Highway Commissioner Jason Diaz, the man whose office Anderson’s own party is asking you to abolish on November 3. Here is what Diaz heard: “We’re going to cut this little guy’s balls off and stuff them down his throat.” Then Anderson said bye. And he didn’t hang up.
Update · Friday evening, October 23, 2026
Highway Commissioner Jason Diaz has formally asked Bourbonnais Township to keep Assessor Doug Anderson out of his workplace while police look into Wednesday’s voicemail.
In a statement Diaz says he sent Friday to Supervisor Jeff Umphrey, the trustees, the township’s HR representative and township attorney Sean Conway, Diaz says he has filed a police report with the Bourbonnais Police Department “as well as other authorities.” He asks the township to take “reasonable steps” so Anderson does not enter his workplace until police finish and a workplace-safety assessment is done, and to evaluate seeking a workplace protection restraining order under the Illinois Workplace Violence Prevention Act. He asks for a written answer. Diaz emailed the statement to The Bourbs and the Daily Journal at 5:57 p.m. Friday.
“This is not a political disagreement,” Diaz writes. “I am raising this as an employee safety issue.”
The Bourbs has not confirmed the police report with the Bourbonnais Police Department. The recording itself does not name Diaz; the caller refers to “this little guy.” In his statement, Diaz says the recording implied Anderson intended to castrate and suffocate him. Read every word and judge for yourself.
Diaz already went to court once. His petition for a no-contact order was denied and closed Thursday, the Daily Journal reported, citing Kankakee County court records. The law he cites now works differently: under the Workplace Violence Prevention Act (820 ILCS 275), only an employer can ask a court for a workplace protection restraining order. The law:
A judge decides whether those conditions are met. Whether the township files is up to the township board.
The township had not publicly responded to Diaz’s request as of Friday evening, and Anderson still has not answered our questions. If Umphrey, Conway or Anderson responds, it goes on this page in full or in fair summary.
Supervisor Umphrey and Members of the Bourbonnais Township Board, Bourbonnais Township HR representative, and Sean Conway, Bourbonnais Township attorney,
I am putting the Township on formal notice of a serious workplace safety concern involving the voicemail that was left on my taxpayer-funded Highway Department cellphone.
I have filed a police report with the Bourbonnais Police department as well as other authorities regarding this voicemail. The statements made in that recording were violent and graphic in nature, including language implying that Doug Anderson was intending to castrate and suffocate me with my own sexual organs. I do not believe I should be required to share a workplace or be in the same building with the individual who made those statements while law enforcement is investigating this matter.
If this occurred in any normal workplace—where one employee made statements about castrating another employee and suffocating him with his own sexual organs, it would immediately be treated as a serious workplace-violence issue and the employer would take steps to prevent the employee being threatened from coming in contact with the person who threatened them. The fact that elected officials are involved should not mean that I am entitled to less protection in my workplace.
I am therefore formally requesting that the Township immediately take reasonable steps to ensure that this individual does not enter my workplace until the police have concluded their investigation and an appropriate workplace-safety assessment is completed.
I am also requesting that the Township and its attorneys immediately evaluate all available protections under the Illinois Workplace Violence Prevention Act, including whether the circumstances support seeking a workplace protection restraining order under 820 ILCS 275.
I am an employee of Bourbonnais Township in addition to serving as Highway Commissioner. I should not have to choose between reporting to work and being placed in the same building with someone who has directed this type of violence toward me.
This is not a political disagreement. I am raising this as an employee safety issue. The Township is now formally on notice of my concern, and I am requesting a written response explaining what immediate measures will be taken to protect me in the workplace while this matter is being investigated.
Jason Diaz
Bourbonnais Township Highway Commissioner
Update · Friday, October 23, 2026
Doug Anderson has submitted a letter of resignation as Bourbonnais Township Assessor. The letter is dated October 22, the day after the voicemail, and is addressed to Supervisor Jeff Umphrey and the township trustees. It takes effect December 31, 2026.
Anderson writes that he has been the township assessor since 1999 and that after 27 years it is time for “the reins to be turned over to the next generation of Assessors.” He says he is staying through the end of the year so pending tax protests and County Board of Review cases are finished before a new assessor is appointed. The letter does not mention the voicemail. Read the letter (PDF, our copy of the one posted on the township’s website).
On the voicemail, Anderson thanks “Steve” for “the contribution.” The Unity Party filed a new report with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 4:08 p.m., the day after the call. It is an A-1, the report every committee must file for any contribution of $1,000 or more. It lists three:
None is from anyone named Steve, or from Steven Bisaillon. Before this report, the party had disclosed $1,000 in total since it formed in January 2025. Gifts under $1,000 since Oct. 1 don’t have to be reported until the quarterly report due in January.
Anderson still has not answered the questions we emailed him Wednesday. The Daily Journal reported he did not return its calls and texts either. If he responds, it goes on this page.
Download the original audio file (M4A, 160 KB)
SHA-256: 7d63368b49f88d37170934fdf9b1392def6a7b238e09d8d79b875f0113d6344b
The complete voicemail, nothing bleeped or left out.
| Time | What he says |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | “Hey, Steve, Doug Anderson.” |
| 0:04 | “I want to thank you for the contribution.” |
| 0:07 | “First of all, I want to say I appreciate you as a friend,” |
| 0:12 | “and we’re going to cut this little guy’s balls off,” |
| 0:17 | “and stuff them down his throat.” |
| 0:19 | “Probably something should have been done when he ran against you.” |
| 0:24 | “But I want to thank you. It’s a big man to donate that money, and I appreciate it.” |
| 0:32 | “Thanks Steve, take care.” |
| 0:33 | “And you need to see this little cocksucker, because everything he says is a fucking lie. He never tells one iota of the fucking truth.” |
| 0:47 | “Talk to you, Steve. Bye.” |
| 0:49 | He doesn’t hang up. Near silence, then background noise. |
| 0:55 | A few very faint words that can’t be made out. |
| 1:15 | The recording ends. |
The elected official who puts a value on your home for property taxes, paid a base salary of $88,580 a year by township taxpayers:
The call came from Doug Anderson’s cell phone: the same number he lists publicly as a real estate agent, and that a county government directory lists for him as an assessor. Screenshots from Diaz’s phone show a missed call from that number at 7:53 a.m. and the voicemail at 7:55 a.m. It is not the assessor’s office line.
Anderson never says who “this little guy” is. Here is the record:
What contribution? What money? For what?
Commissioner Diaz is asking it out loud (his full statement is below). So are we. Here is what the record says.
Voters decide November 3. Nobody has answered these yet.
Diaz posted the recording on his own Facebook page Wednesday. In that post, he says the voicemail was left on his “taxpayer funded Bourbonnais Township highway commissioner cellphone.” He gave The Bourbs this statement, printed in full:
“I’m appalled that anyone would talk about another person like this, let alone someone who has been an elected official for more than 20 years. We’re elected to serve the same people, we’re supposed to be able to work together to make our community better, regardless of our political or personal differences.
Politics have become incredibly divisive as well as violent, and comments like these raise a very real concern for me. I have four children, including three young daughters. Do I now have to worry about my physical safety or the safety of my family simply because I am calling blatant abuse of tax money by elected officials?
The other part of this voicemail is incredibly concerning as well. What exactly is this donation to the Bourbonnais Unity party for? Does making a political contribution help Steve Bisaillon get his old job back if the Road District is abolished? The supervisor, trustees, clerk, as well as the previous highway commissioner all ran with Doug Anderson under the Unity party. And this voicemail raises serious questions.
I believe Doug Anderson should resign immediately and I believe he owes me an apology as well as the residents of Bourbonnais Township. Elected officials should lead by example, let alone one who has been in office for 20+ years.”
Jason Diaz, Bourbonnais Township Highway Commissioner, statement to The Bourbs, October 21, 2026
Diaz’s statement names Steve Bisaillon. The voicemail itself never gives Steve’s last name. The Unity Party’s state reports show no donation from Bisaillon.
We emailed Anderson Wednesday evening and offered to send him the recording. We asked:
He had not answered when this was posted. As of Friday, Oct. 23, he still had not. His resignation letter, dated Oct. 22, does not mention the voicemail. If he responds, it goes right here.
On October 12, the Bradley Village Board unanimously passed a resolution urging Bradley voters to say YES to abolishing the Road District. Mayor Mike Watson told the Daily Journal, “This is very much our business.” We asked him for comment on the voicemail. He had not responded when this was posted.
This lands in the middle of the Road District fight we have been covering for weeks.
We looked up the phone number the call came from. It led somewhere we didn’t expect. More soon.
Coming soon: We heard the rumors about Jeff Umphrey’s exit from the Kankakee Area Career Center. On paper, it was a retirement. So why did it come with a signed separation deal? Extra money added to his last five paychecks in exchange for a full release. A board vote, taken after a closed-door session, that never used his name. And the disclosure forms he signed while the career center was paying him. We have the documents.
You vote November 3. Early voting is open now at the Kankakee County Clerk’s office.
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