Above / DuPage County has much to offer in natural resources, including the winding DuPage River as it finds it way to the Naperville Township offices at Webster Street in downtown Naperville on a winter day. (PN File Photo)
UPDATE, Dec. 13, 2016 / Carl Schultz has been appointed to the Naperville Township Board of Trustees to serve the remaining term of Janice Anderson. Last month Schultz filed petitions to run for Naperville Township Highway Commissioner in the February Primary and has withdrawn his nomination.
Original Post / During the Naperville Township Board of Trustees meeting on November 29, 2016, the board accepted the resignation of Trustee Janice Anderson, following her election on Nov. 8, 2016, to serve District 5 on the DuPage County Board.
The resignation was effective immediately upon the Township Board’s 3-0 vote on Nov. 29.
Anderson will be sworn into office as a DuPage County Board Commissioner for District 5 at on Mon., Dec. 5, at the DuPage County Inauguration Ceremony in Wheaton.
Departing Remarks by Janice Anderson
“It’s been a pleasure to serve with all of you these past three and half years,” said Anderson during her remarks on Nov. 29. “…We each came with different abilities and skill sets. We learned to respect each other and for that I am grateful.”
Anderson expressed special appreciation to attorney Steve Adams and his law firm for putting the board “through the paces.”
Anderson said the Supervisor and board came together to professionalize township government.
“We took it from an unorganized, inefficient small bureaucracy to a transparent efficient unit of government. I hope the current board and future boards will stick with that initiative. We must do that for our taxpayers,” Anderson added. “There is also more to be done. I ran for this office because I wanted to make a difference and make government better for all the residents who reside in Naperville Township, not just for a few.”
Anderson said she has grown since she was elected as a reform candidate in 2013, gaining confidence to make decisions with skills she will take with her to the DuPage County Board.
“Sometimes the decisions are not always popular. But be not afraid. One of my favorite quotes is from a former township trustee and chairman of the DuPage County Board, Bob Schillerstrom. He said to me – ‘Govern well and all works out.’”
Anderson was credited for her help launching the local narrative to make local government more efficient, starting with the township road district collaboration opportunity and putting new fiscal processes in place which recently led to a permanent reduction in the township’s property tax levy of 10.3 percent.
Township Supervisor Rachel Ossyra, Trustee Kerry Malm and Trustee Anderson voted to accept the resignation. Trustees Paul Santucci and Bob Wegner were absent from the meeting. The Board is currently working to fill the vacancy by appointment.
The individual appointed to the vacancy shall hold the office for the remainder of Anderson’s unexpired term, until May, 2017, and must be 1) a legal voter and resident of Naperville Township for at least 1 year; and 2) a member of the same political party – Republican.
DuPage County Board Inauguration is Dec. 5
Janice M. Anderson will head to Wheaton on Mon., Dec. 5, when DuPage County will host its inauguration of recently elected officials at 6:30PM. The swearing in will be held in the Jack T. Knuepfer Administration Building Auditorium, 421 N. County Farm Road.
Other recently elected public officials to serve the DuPage County include Robert B. Berlin, State’s Attorney; Frederick Bucholz, Recorder; Bob Grogan, County Auditor; Richard Jorgensen, Coroner; Chris Kachiroubas and Circuit Court Clerk. County Board members are Donald Pachalski and Sam Tornatore.
The 20-member DuPage County Board is led by Chairman Dan Cronin. County Board members to be inaugurated include Donald Pachalski and Sam Tornatore, District 1; Richard F. Blass and Sean T. Noonan, District 2; Gary Graso and Brian J. Krajewski, District 3; Tim Elliott and Amy L. Grant, District 4; and Anderson and James D. Healy, District 5.
District 5 serves Naperville as do small portions of Districts 3 and 6.
Republican Primary is slated for Naperville Township on February 28
In other Naperville Township news, a Republican Primary will be held on Feburary 28, 2017, to choose among 18 candidates running to serve eight seats up for election in Naperville Township. At their monthly meeting on Sept. 24, 2016, the Naperville Township Republican Organization (NTRO) voted overwhelmingly to hold a Naperville Township Primary Election on Feb. 28, 2017, for the nomination of Republican candidates for Naperville Township seats to be elected at the Consolidated Election on April 4, 2017, a departure from the tradition of hosting Caucuses, in December. Caucuses have been held by NTRO for the last six township election cycles to choose the Republican candidate slate.
Candidates by end of filing deadline, Nov. 28, 2016 / For Supervisor: Rachel Ossyra and Walter Reilly. For Clerk: Barry Greenberg and Tom Laz. For (Four Seats) Township Trustee: Kerry Malm, Paul Santucci, Kurt Dorr, Cathy Hanzelin, Chris Jacks, William Lueck, Dan Porter, Jim Ruhl, Ernest Kovacs and Heather Bejda. For Highway Commissioner: Stan Wojtasiak and Carl Schultz (withdrawn). For Township Assessor: Warren Dixon III and Gary Vician (withdrawn).
If interested, the trustee appointed to fill Janice Anderson’s seat must run in the Feb. 28, 2016, Primary in order to be on the ballot in April.
Republican Primary victors will appear on the ballot with Democratic candidates on April 4, 2017.
Note! Naperville Township is one of six Illinois townships that serves Naperville residents. The other townships are DuPage, Lisle, Milton, Wheatland, and Winfield. Illinois is home to 1,432 townships.
RELATED POST / Meet & Greet other candidates running Consolidated Election on April 4
