Seven candidates for the Rutland Township board of trustees came to Sun City’s Drendel Ballroom on Mar. 29. It was their last chance to communicate with local voters before the Apr. 4 township election.
Four of them will be elected for a four-year term beginning in May.
Recent controversies among township elected officials have led to an election ballot that offers voters a choice of two candidates for all but one of the eight township elective offices.
Three trustee candidates – Fred Bulmahn, Steve Schuldt, and John Payson – are seeking re-election to another four-term term on the four-member board. Another, Ray Eaton, is an incumbent who has served 18 months as an appointed board member, and is seeking a full four-year term. Another, Charleen Carlsen, is vacating her position as township clerk to seek her first term as a township trustee. Two candidates – Victor Keegan and Nicholas Hoffman – are newcomers seeking their first township elective office.
Rutland is one of 16 townships in Kane County. More than half of Sun City is located in Kane County and Rutland Township. Following is a summary of each candidate’s background, views on township issues, and their reasons for running for trustee. They are listed here in random order:
Nicholas Hoffman, is a four-year resident of the township and has worked in administrative positions at an airline and an auto dealership. “One of the most important issues now is to end the controversies and arguments and focus on the township’s needs and opportunities to serve residents. We need to consider the consequences of what we do, short and long-term. I have worked extensively with animal shelters, and that may be an example of an area where we could find ways to serve.
Incumbent Fred Bulmahn, a CPA and a retired financial entrepreneur, has served as a trustee for four years, and was township supervisor for eight years, 2001-2009. “I’m running on my record as supervisor, when we froze the tax rate and kept our expenses low. We should continue to look for grants to ease pressure on our budget and complete specific projects. But for general revenue, we’re pretty much limited to property taxes for revenue. We have been frugal in our management of funds. We have no debts.
Bulmahn, continued – “I’d like to see townships eliminated but the state’s general assembly would have to do that, and they won’t do it. The county could consolidate with the township to accomplish some things. I endorse Wayne Kaschub for road commissioner, Arnold Klehm for clerk, Elden Brauer for supervisor, and Gary Fritz for assessor.”
Steve Schuldt, seeking a sixth term as a trustee. He is president of Tessendorf Mechanical Services, providing HVAC services to the area, including Sun City. “In the last four years, we have developed a proven track record of keeping expenses low and freezing our tax rate. We have professional people in the township that have served as well. We’re losing roads as cities expand in the county, and we need to be creative regarding revenue.
Schuldt, continued – “We might need to privatize some things. We need to get together with other townships and discuss ways to cooperate and accomplish things. Most of all, we need to change some of the ways we do things in the office. We need to put two signatures on all checks we write, as our auditors have recommended. When Fred Bulmahn was supervisor, we did that, and when Margaret Sanders started in 2009, she stopped it. That was wrong.”
Charleen Carlsen – current township clerk seeking a term on the trustee board for the first time. She is a former clerk and trustee of the Village of Gilberts. “I want to finish the business I have started here. “Consolidation of townships and more cooperation among townships makes sense to me. When I was at Gilberts, we had agreements with townships. Regarding the question of salary raises and higher staff costs, those salaries are set by the supervisor every four years. She has all of the authority regarding that.”
Victor Keegan, a retired steelworker and an 18-year resident of the township. In a 31-year career as a steelworker, he held many positions in his union – including department steward, grievance committee member, financial officer, and local union president. “The most important issue we face now is to end the wrangling at board meetings, and stop the fighting and bickering. We have had cops at our meetings. There is not enough cooperation, and it’s the main reason I am running. We need some level-headed people. Why are good people like our supervisor and road commissioner being attacked? We got a grant some years ago for a new road, and we should pursue other opportunities like that.”
John Payson, an incumbent seeking another four-year term, pursued a career in business ownership after serving six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He has been a resident and business owner in Hampshire since 1998. “This is a very important election, and I appreciate the turnout here tonight. We have about 1,420 townships in Illinois, and I’d like to see them consolidated or eliminated, but I don’t think that can be done. You can’t just eliminate elected positions like we have in townships. We should explore intergovernmental agreements as much as possible. “I’d like to have two signatures on checks, and I also check every piece of paper and each line item in our budget tat I receive each month. No one is watching our dollars except us (the four trustees).
Thomas (Ray) Eaton, an appointed incumbent on the board seeking his first elected term. He is a four-year resident of Pingree Grove and lived in South Elgin for 39 years. At South Elgin, he was active in in the Jaycees and the Lions Club. He served as a commissioner of SEEMA (South Elgin Emergency Management Agency) and was a founding member of the Parks and Recreation Board. “I always try to get involved in the community as much as I can, and my candidacy here is an example of that. “Our supervisor should not be attacked, What she is doing about check signatures is legal, and many of the townships in the county use only one signature on a check. Attacks on our elected officials are wrong.”
