Huntley trustee wants to run for township supervisor

The field of Republican candidates for Grafton Township Supervisor grew to three after Huntley Village Trustee Pam Fender threw her hat in the ring on Tuesday.

Current Supervisor Linda Moore and Algonquin attorney Martin Waitzman announced last week their intention to run in the February primary. The general election is in April.

Moore has been involved in legal battles with township trustees over issues such as paying bills and who has the authority to hire township employees. At one point during her tenure, trustees changed the locks on her office and hired Fender to act as supervisor. Moore went to court and was granted an injunction, which allowed her to change the locks again and go back to work.

Fender said she is the best candidate because of her previous experience working for the township. She has served the village of Huntley since 2005.

“I understand all the levels of government, and how it all works. I understand what a township is supposed to be doing, and the township has not been well run for the last 3½ years,” she said.

Grafton Township needs positive change, Fender said. Too much money is being wasted on lawsuits, which will go away if Moore isn’t re-elected, she added.

“One of the big things that township does is take care of people who are very poor, who are on their last legs and need help,” she said.

Moore said she is running for re-election to continue her fight to save taxpayers money by opposing a multimillion-dollar township hall. The entire board is up for election, and Moore said she expects the drama to end if new trustees are seated.

Waitzman, a Republican, is a former Elk Grove Village and Kildeer police officer who says his outsider status would better allow him to resolve conflicts and move forward. He has attended township meetings since last fall and hopes to put an end to the legal battles if he is elected.