League of Women Voters host Roscoe Township forum

Winnebago County Board member Gary Jury chats with Dawn Cassady (center) and Rhonda Surrat at the Roscoe Township Forum, Wednesday evening, March 22. Cassady is running for trustee. Surrat is a candidate for Township Clerk.

By Jean Seegers
REPORTER
Claire McIntyre, President of the League of Women Voters, hosted a Roscoe Township Forum Wednesday evening, March 22, at North Suburban Library in Roscoe.
McIntyre introduced candidates running on the Republican, Independent and Clean Slate ticket in the April 4, election. Ten candidates are running for four board positions.
Seven candidates attended the forum: Pat Zintak – Republican candidate for Township Clerk; Steve Connell – Republican candidate for Township Supervisor; Jesse Garcia – Republican candidate for Township Trustee.
Representing the Clean Slate ticket were: Rhonda Surratt – Township Clerk; Pat Henderson – Township Trustee; Dawn Cassady – Township Trustee. Elizabeth Ann Lindquist, representing the Independent ticket is running for Township Trustee.
WTVO Television Anchor Emily Waldron was the forum moderator.
Each candidate was given three minutes to talk about their goals and the biggest challenges they may face in their position. Connell sited expansion of parks in the Township, road improvement and maintaining the current level of spending.
Surrat wants to ensure that everyone in the Township has a voice and will be heard. “There are a lot of people who don’t realize they live in the Township,” she said.
Zintak and Garcia said they would like to expand recreational activities in the area and continue to make the Township a good place to live and raise a family.
Henderson said he has been on the Township Board for 36 years. His hope is that those trustees that are elected will be fiscally conservative, and open to listening to problems in the community.
As a trustee, Cassady will advocate for the Stateline Mass Transit System, get the Township website up and running and promote involvement in the community. “Townships are a small form of government. There are things that we can do that larger governments can’t do.”
Lindquist said she is running for trustee because “It’s important to get involved with your community. I am concerned about what I hear,” she said. “I would like to bring everyone together in the Township.”
Lindquist mentioned that the annual Township meeting will be held at 7 p.m., April 11, in the Township office on Elevator Road.