The City of Mt. Carmel is still working to line up a mosquito sprayer as the season gets off to an early start.
During Friday’s Ask the Mayor segment on WSJD, Mayor Joe Judge said the city has been advertising for the position as mosquito activity has already picked up in mid-April.
Judge acknowledged the process may have ideally started earlier, but says efforts began in early March to find someone qualified to handle the job.
He says the city reached out to workers in other communities, but scheduling and travel made it difficult, with some only able to spray late at night—something the city wants to avoid.
Judge also noted there is a specific window when spraying is most effective.
In the meantime, the mayor says he has even begun the certification process himself as a backup plan if no one steps forward.
That certification requires passing a State of Illinois applicator’s license.
City officials say they are working to get the program in place as soon as possible as mosquito concerns continue to grow.