McHenry Times

The Dundee Township highway commissioner’s race is quickly approaching, and with that comes Republican Scott Sinnett, a new candidate running for the office against two others.

This is Sinnett’s first time running for an elected office. If elected, he, along with his counterparts, will be responsible for maintaining and updating over 50 miles of road.

He recently spoke with the McHenry Times and listed his qualifications for the position.

“I have been in the excavating/trucking business for 45 years,” he said.

Sinnett first acquired his CDL-A license when he was at the age of 18. Since then, he has learned how to operate and maneuver many diverse types of equipment.

“I can operate every piece of equipment and drive every truck the township has in the inventory,” he said.

Sinnett’s father was also a highway commissioner, which allowed Sinnett to understand what is expected and needed for the job.

“My father was the highway commissioner for Barrington Township, and I know firsthand what is involved in the job,” he said.

For the past 30 years, Sinnett has been an owner of his excavating company, where he “managed budgets and employees, along with negotiating the purchase of new equipment.”

“I have installed roads, subdivisions, culverts and maintained, repaired, plowed and salted roads,” he said of his time there. “I have also plowed, salted and maintained the secondary roads of Barrington Hills for six years until they adopted an intergovernmental agreement with the Cuba Township Highway Department.”

If Sinnett wins the election, he has plans to push a reduction in citizen taxes.

“The highway department has a tremendous amount of equipment that is underutilized,” he said. “My goal is to implement an intergovernmental agreement with the Dundee Township Supervisor's office to share equipment and manpower -- and this will reduce taxpayer costs.”

Currently, the Dundee highway commissioner is Larry Braasch. As noted by the Dundee webpage, this is Braasch's second term in office for this position.

This year, Braasch is running for re-election. In addition to Braasch and Sinnett, Michael Rogers is also a candidate.

For those interested, on Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Dundee Township Office at 611 E. Main St., the League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area’s Dundee Township Committee is hosting a candidate forum for those running for office.

This forum will allow candidates to speak about their goals if elected and give voters an opportunity to listen firsthand to their plans.

On his Facebook page, Sinnett invited all to come and get educated on their candidates.

“I want to bring integrity, experience and financial responsibility to the Dundee Township Highway Department,” he told voters via Facebook. 

The primary race for this position begins on Feb. 13 and runs through Feb. 28.

For this position, the highway commissioner is “responsible for snow and ice control or removal, patching or re-paving damaged roadways, road striping, solving drainage issues, maintaining clear visual fields at traffic signs, tree trimming or removal, mowing right of ways, and street sign maintenance,” according to the Dundee home page.