Frankfort Candidate Barbara Dutton ​Running For 2 Seats At Once

FRANKFORT, IL — Frankfort resident Barbara Dutton's name will be on the April 6 ballot twice, as she runs for both Frankfort Park District Commissioner and Frankfort Township Trustee. Dutton, a retired attorney, told Patch she always imagined she would enter the world of politics, but life took her on a different path.

Now that she is retired and her children are grown, Dutton said she has the time to properly devote to the two positions.

"I have watched in dismay at how our national and state and local governments are being run," Dutton said. "I am no longer willing to sit back in frustration and wonder why things are being done in a certain way. I decided that now is the time for me to give back."

Patch reached out to the Will County Clerk's Office, and Chief of Staff for the Clerk Charles Pelkie Jr. said the office's legal counsel reviewed the issue in January and found that the offices are not incompatible.

Dutton said neither position is full-time, and both boards "have had many of the same people on them for many, many years."

"That is never a good thing. It is my opinion that both boards are in serious need of fresh ideas and much oversight and change," Dutton said.

For the Frankfort Township Trustee race, Dutton is running with the Fresh Slate for Frankfort Township. All candidates on the slate are running as Democrats.

"I would love to improve both local government boards. Many important issues are being handled on the local level. I have decided that I will start here. There is much work to be done," she said.