Dundee Township supervisor Harney to run for trustee

Sue Harney may not be seeking re-election for Dundee Township supervisor, but she considers her work in the township far from over.

First elected to the full-time position in 2000, Harney said she is excited to step aside and let a new community member with a different skill set take over the reins. Hoping to remain active in the township, she is instead running for a seat on the board of trustees next spring.

"Being supervisor has been the most incredibly fulfilling job of my entire life," Harney said. "I'm so grateful for the trust and support the voters have placed in me the past 16 years."

During her tenure, Harney said she accomplished many of her goals to preserve open space, as well as to provide elderly and disabled residents with dial-a-ride transportation through the Ride in Kane program.

Before her term is up, she intends to carry out plans to create a nature play park for kids and build an aboveground columbarium to hold cremated remains in the cemetery. She also wants to continue pursuing the highest level of protection for land in various parts of the township.

The community members who plan to run for township office in the upcoming election are all very talented and bring great ideas to the table, Harney said. Carpentersville resident Jay Radke, chairman of the Dundee Township Republican Organization, filed this week to run for supervisor, and Harney said she knows of another qualified individual planning to run to replace her.

"A big part of the fun is starting to pass the torch to the next generation of people," she said.

Harney said she believes she and other township officials have built a solid foundation over the last several years, and she would like to continue working closely with her successor. If elected as a trustee, she also intends to promote the township and educate the community on the role of township officials and staff.

"This is another chapter of my life," Harney said. "I'm really excited to approach this from a different perspective. It's a new twist for me."