Election Day is April 5. Most users of this board know that School Districts 41, 89 and 87 have their own forums; your thoughts about their candidates and issues should remain there. This forum is the place for discussing the Village, Township and COD elections.

So far, I'm aware of three partisan web sites:

• John Mulherin -- candidate for Village President
• Richard Dunn -- candidate for Milton Township Supervisor
• H.S. School District 87 - Referendum

The County Election Commission has the entire list of candidates online (Adobe .pdf).

Feel free to add links to other candidates and issues as they become available.

Be sure to do your homework... and then vote on April 5th!

Thanks Ted.

This information is IMPORTANT!!

By the way, can anyone describe what the tasks/responsibilities are for the elected offices of:

Milton Township Clerk -

Milton Township Trustee -

Thanks.

Thanks Ted!

Jay Kinzler, another candidate for village president, also has a website: www.jaykinzler.com. Vicky Hase, the third candidate, is supposed to post one soon...

Vicky's site is live as well, at: www.vickyhase.com

Hi, Todd

Hi,
There are three Democratic candidates for Milton Township positions:
Richard Dunn - Milton Township Supervisor
Janice Rinehart - Milton Township Trustee
Jim Stark - MIlton Township Trustee

Please take a look at our website at:
www.milton.dupagedemocrats.org
then click on April 5 Candidates

Contact any of the three if you have questions.

yes, but what do the positions actually do?

is there a job description?

Sorry to be slow in answering, I wanted to be sure to get you correct information.

Trustees comprise the legislative branch of the township and are members of the board of trustees that is chaired by the township supervisor.

The board of trustees approves payments of township bills as presented by the supervisor for the township and by the highway commissioner for roads. The supervisor acts as the treasurer for the township funds.

The township board designates depositories for all township and road district funds. It also has the power to audit the accounts of the supervisor and highway commissioner and determine that the supervisor is following the budget and appropriation ordinances which is the approved budget that they vote on or amend for both the supervisor and highway commissioner. They prepare the budget and appropriation ordinance in the first quarter of the year and see that it is made available for public hearing. It must be presented at a public hearing before the board adopts the budget and appropriation for the year. They also approve any amendments to the budget and appropriation throughout the year.

That’s the gist of it. I found this information at the following website if you’d like more details.
http://www.toi.org/RespnsbltsofTwpOffcls.htm

I personally believe that the job of trustee is to use his or her business experience, and common sense to advise and consent to the management of taxpayer funds for Roads, General Assistance and any other expenditures recommended by the supervisor. This requires a person with strong ethics, critical thinking, a sense of fiscal responsibility and a belief in open government that accountable to the taxpayers.

I have read a lot in the newspaper about the Miton Township elected officals and I am not sure what to believe. If the Democrats are going to assess commercial property correctly, then maybe there will be more revenue for the schools and we should just vote in a new slate.

Daily Herald Article - 6/27/2004

...
"Gumm says his troubles started earlier when he discovered something wasn't adding up with the property values of certain commercial land.

Soon after taking office in January 1998, Gumm says he learned a number of parcels had been under-assessed for an extended period of time.

"There was tremendous inequities in assessed values of commercial properties," Gumm said. "Similar properties had major differences in assessed value."

Although not a defendant, former DuPage County board member Michael Formento's name appears in the lawsuit as one of the land owners affected by Gumm's re-assessments in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.

Gumm said a building Formento owned in downtown Glen Ellyn jumped from an assessed value of $103,350 to $260,060 in one year. As a result, Formento's tax bill for the property went from roughly $7,400 to more than $18,400. The building was sold in 2002 for $1.15 million, records show."
...
"It's a handful of people who were politically connected," Gumm said, "and who have a different approach to protesting assessments than a normal person."
...
"To date, Flickinger estimates, the legal turmoil surrounding Gumm's tenure has cost township taxpayers more than $250,000. Flickinger says that's too high a price to pay just to oust a political opponent, as Gumm asserts.

Don Sender, the only Milton Township trustee who voted against censuring Gumm, said he believes the assessor. But he's saving his remarks for the day he must testify in court."
...


The Illinois Leader - 3/14/2004

...
Gumm, the two-term Milton Township Assessor, will not serve a third term. This year, he was denied re-nomination as assessor at the Milton Township caucus of Republican precinct committeemen. Gumm later dropped an independent bid when allegations surfaced against Rod McCullouch, a consultant Gumm had hired to collect signatures, for forging petition signatures. Gumm withdrew from the race and DuPage County States Attorney Joe Birkett is investigating the matter. Gumm will leave office at the end of December.


Gumm alleges that the motive for his ouster was his efforts to raise the underassessments of commercial property owned by “local civic and political leaders who objected to Gumm’s correcting the assessments on their property, notwithstanding the fact that these corrections were serving to result in more equitable taxation among area residents.” Gumm says he raised assessments on business properties “by as much as three times.”
...

I absolutely agree with GELady, it is time for a change at the top of the Milton Township board.

CHRIS HEINDORN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE RE-ELECTED. His administration has been involved with questionable commercial property tax assessments. All the while we have been forced to consider multiple school district referundums due to inadequate state and local funding. Where was our township leader?

On his website, Mr. Heindorn mentions homeland security. Yet there are several aspects of the Patriot Act which Constitutional scholars consider unconstitutional. Mr. Heindorn is a lawyer? Over 200 communites in the U.S. have rescinded many portions of the Patriot Act, and currently there are discussions in Naperville to rescind portions of the act. Where is our township leader?

Our township (as does the county) uses Diebold voting machines. There are countless valid concerns and objections to Diebold. Many communities are demanding not just a paper receipt, but a paper ballot in order to ensure honest election results. Where is our township leader?

I would also like to know how somebody who lives in unincorporated Milton Township can have "first hand knowledge of the impact that Township government can have on all its citizens."?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: oncall,

quote:

Originally posted by oncall:
I absolutely agree with GELady, it is time for a change at the top of the Milton Township board.

CHRIS HEINDORN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE RE-ELECTED.

[snip]

On his website, Mr. Heindorn mentions homeland security. Yet there are several aspects of the Patriot Act which Constitutional scholars consider unconstitutional. Mr. Heindorn is a lawyer? Over 200 communites in the U.S. have rescinded many portions of the Patriot Act, and currently there are discussions in Naperville to rescind portions of the act. Where is our township leader?

Your first paragraph had some relevance, but you've slipped into "card-carrying member" ACLU mode in the 2nd.

quote:

Our township (as does the county) uses Diebold voting machines. There are countless valid concerns and objections to Diebold.

Whoop whoop! Danger! Danger! The Great Diebold Conspiracy!

The right had the Clinton Drug Running/Murder in Arkansas, the left has the Diebold Conspiracy, your colors are starting to show. Roll yourself a fatty, chill out, and pop Farenheit 9/11 in the DVD player.

quote:

I would also like to know how somebody who lives in unincorporated Milton Township can have "first hand knowledge of the impact that Township government can have on all its citizens."?

Hmmm....someone who lives in unincorported Milton Twp. would probably feel the impact of Milton Twp. government most! Anyway, thanks for playing.

midlein87,

Why is it that you refer to discuss serious matters as "playing"? Also have you read the Bill of Rights, and are you aware that the Patriot Act suspends the fourth amendment to the constitution? Do you know that over 500,000 votes in the last election were miscounted? Are you absolutely certain that your vote was accurately recorded? Wouldn't you like to have some assurance that your vote was recorded accurately? Why is it that you resort to character assassination and innuendo when I posted a commment that you don't agree with? Do you have the courage to watch 9/11?

Your last comment has some validity. What I was highlighting is that most residents of Milton Township do not live in unincorporated parts of the township, and therefore his experiences in unincorporated Milton Township are not similar to most residents.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: oncall,

jombl,


Our family has been fortunate to help Christian refugees who are escaping religious oppression in their home countries. We have done this for five different families. They had nothing except the clothes on their backs when they came to this country, and all they needed was a helping hand. Without our help they would still be refugees. Most of these people now have jobs and are contributing to their communities. When I tell people about this, most ask what the experience is like and state that this is a wonderful thing we are doing. I ask you, is it the main stream view of most people to keep their hands in their pockets when they can extend a helping hand? Is it necessarily the role of the village to help these people? Probably not, but is it wrong to help people in need? If our village can be seen as setting an example for good I would like to know the harm we are causing. Mains stream values are not the sole posession of greedy parsimonious people. Rather, "values" extends to those who are willing to help others improve their lot in life.

oncall...thank you so much for your reasoned response to jombl. you certainly help us to think about those "values" which jombl seems to hold in such low esteem.
jombl...who appointed you to speak for the "main stream views of this community?" or are you talking about the views circa l955?

"power and adventure". hmmmm. you sure are a point of light.

quote:

Originally posted by jombl:
Do you really do this for them? Or is it possible you do this for selfish reasons of power and adventure?

jombl,

You're insane.

thank you, truth seeker.

jombl,

Are you one of those people who believe the Holocaust never actually happened? Or that the South never actually lost the Civil War?

Just curious...

By the way, this conjures up a memory of a classic Onion opinion column's headline:

"Did Six Million Really Visit The Holocaust Museum?"

jombl,

You obviously did not completely read my post. The example of refugee families was used to highlight that there are many who need the kind of help that you seem to think does not warrant reasonable consideration by our village. The point as I said, was it might not be our village's responsibility to help those in need, but are we so tight fisted with our money that we should not open our hearts and support those who are truly in need? As regards to your suggestion to help people who live twenty miles west of Chicago, I recommend that you consider that earlier today you made it clear that it is not part of the "main stream views". If you consider yourself part of the main stream (which I imagine you must), then you are being hypocritcal. Your characterization earlier in the day of Democrats is typical of conservatives who claim to be guided by "values". As to your comments about my family's motivation to help others-it is not worthy of a response. I imagine that you have helped others in need. I don't expect you or anybody else to provide financial support to our family for what we do. Should our village help those who need affordable housing? It is a matter of priorities. Do I know all the answers, no I do not. But, I do know that helping others should not make others feel guilty. If the shoe fits, wear it.

jombl...you just muddied yourself with your "stay out of our town" attact on mr. dunn. do you work for fox news?