ST. JOSPEH, Ill. (WCIA) — The Village of St. Joseph is offering an interesting deal for homeowners in nearby communities.

The village is asking 35 adjacent homes to join St. Joseph through voluntary annexation. St. Joseph is aiming to grow its population for motor fuel tax purposes and other state rebates.

For those choosing to join, those homes will receive a property tax rebate, monthly services and be able to vote. The Board of Trustees discussed it at a meeting on June 24 and plans to send out invitational letters in the coming weeks.

St. Joseph Mayor Jim Page said it’s a real win-win for all parties involved.

“We can’t annex anything that’s not adjacent to our corporate limits. There are only 35 homes that this applies to initially,” Page said. “So, it’s not like hundreds of people, it’s a pretty small group. But we thought we’d reach out to them and see what the interest is, completely voluntary. If they don’t want to do it, that’s fine. If they want to do it, then we’ll sit down and talk to them.”

The mayor said there will be an informational meeting in a couple of weeks for homeowners to learn more.