SUN CITY – For nearly four years, Sun City residents living in Kane County have been served by one of their own.
Margaret Sanders was elected Rutland Township supervisor in May of 2009, following the end of her 34-year career in education. She is running unopposed to retain her seat, and her next term will run until May 2017.
Sanders’ career found her teaching math at the middle school, high school, and college level. In 1998, she became principal of St. Catherine of Siena School in West Dundee and served for 11 years. Sanders’ career hasn’t ended entirely either – she still teaches part-time at St. Edward’s High School in Elgin.
Though Sanders had no formal governmental experience before becoming supervisor, she credits her principal work as valuable experience in budgeting and other duties a supervisor takes on. Sanders had also served on Sun City’s Finance Committee for two years.
Margaret Sanders (Photo Provided)
Upon becoming supervisor in 2009, Sanders took a page from her students and hit the books. She learned about her job through the Township Officials of Illinois Laws and Duties Handbook. Sanders’ math skills helped her learn the QuickBooks software and save the township money by doing the bookkeeping herself rather than hiring someone else.
Another credential Sanders points to is her life experience growing up on a farm. This, she said, has given her insight into the needs and concerns of residents of unincorporated Rutland, including the attention the township pays to the roads less traveled.
“I think the most important thing that Rutland Township does is keep miles of township roads safe and clear of snow and ice; the highway department does an excellent job of maintaining the roads,” she said.
Sanders acknowledged Rutland Township has not done much for seniors: this, she said, is due to the township’s relatively small population. (According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Rutland Township’s population was 18,800 in 2012, compared to 53,150 in Grafton Township.)
“Our town hall is not large enough to have a senior center, and we don’t participate in the busing, because it’s not something that the board has wanted to do,” Sanders said.
Instead, seniors in the Rutland portion of Sun City ride with the Grafton Township Bus Service. Sanders said she wants her Sun City neighbors to know they can come to her with ideas and concerns.
The biggest questions posed by her neighbors usually involve taxes, and Sanders has made taxes a focal point for her flyers and campaigning.
“I’m going to continue to be very careful with the taxpayers’ money, and I want to keep the taxes at a minimum because I’m a taxpayer too,” she said.
On her relationship with trustees and other township officials, Sanders described the interactions as often being harmonious.
“We generally agree,” Sanders said of herself and the trustees. “We work and discuss until we do agree, but sometimes we have a disagreement, and we allow the visitors always to speak at a certain time during the meeting, too,” she said.
Sanders looks forward to her second term and getting even more involved in the township she calls home.
“I have really enjoyed learning more about Rutland Township and the people that live here, and I feel that I have really learned a lot,” she said.
