Elected Officials/Terms of Office
Jeff Zaluda, Cynthia Plouché, Margoth Moreno and Bryna Gamson were elected to serve four-year terms (along with Supervisor Mari Barnes and Clerk Ellen Gussin), in April, 2005. Terms of office began the third week of May, 2005.
Assessor Pete Koukos, also elected in April, 2005, but governed by a separate state term, assumed office in January, 2006.
Duties
Financial Oversight
An Illinois township board of trustees, the legislative arm of township government, is legally expected to perform only one key function: fiduciary/financial oversight. Within that legal responsibility are approving budgets for General Assistance, Town Fund and Assessor's Office; and auditing the accounts presented by the Supervisor, a township's administrator, twice a month.
Community Welfare Responsibilities
Trustees may also consider themselves the eyes and ears of the community in terms of recognizing resident welfare needs, and use those budgets as instruments of policy.
The handbook of trustee responsibilities published by the Township Officials of Illinois/TOI states that in addition to administrative duties, trustees have five responsibilities to the community, viz, to be: decision makers determining the strategic direction of the township; fiduciary stewards ensuring responsible fund allocation and management; ombudsmen for friends and neighbors as they deal with all levels of government and its institutions; educators learning about and responding to local needs and informing their constituency; and motivators who seek public involvement.
(Trustees' Operations Manual by Steven W. Stanger, Trustees' Division of Township Officials of Illinois, 2005)
In cooperation with the Supervisor, Moraine Township Trustees have translated those community responsibilities into action by establishing and serving on various committees.
Cemetery Management
By resolution in 2006, to conform to longstanding Illinois law, Trustees and Supervisor also officially became a Town Cemetery Board of Trustees. Cemetery management
involves two historic cemeteries, Mooney (Ridge Road near Deerfield Road) and Daggitt (corner of Lake Cook Road and St. Johns Avenue), in Highland Park.
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Committees
Standing Committees
Trustees serve on subcommittees developed as needed. These include: Communications, Emergency Planning, Finance, Food Pantry/Clothes Closet, Legal, Santullano Holiday Drive, and Transportation.
Township Citizen Advisory Committee Liaisons
Trustees serve as active liaisons to Citizen Advisory Committees, also developed as needed. A Citizen Grant Advisory Committee was established in 2006; others function from time to time on an ad hoc basis.
Liaisons to Civic Groups
To further foster improved communications and coordination of community services, trustees also serve as liaisons to non-township civic committees such as Highland Park's Human Relations Commission and Senior Center Advisory Board; Community Family Center; and the Lake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee. Our Supervisor is chair of the Highland Park Hospital Community Advisory Committee.
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Contact
phone
Call the Township Office at 847-432-3240 to reach any Trustee
email
Bryna Gamson trusteegamson@morainetownship.org
Cynthia Plouché trusteeplouche@morainetownship.org
Margoth Moreno trusteemoreno@morainetownship.org
Jeff Zaluda trusteezaluda@morainetownship.org
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