Former Commissioner Jim Hutton passes away

A recent long-serving commissioner in the city of Braidwood has died.

James Hutton passed away on Sunday, May 26, at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Hutton served as Public Buildings and Property Commissioner in Braidwood for 12 years, beginning in May 2007 and running until April of this year.

He was one of five candidates vying for this year’s mayoral term, but was beat out by current Mayor Bob Jones.

As Public Buildings and Property Commissioner, Hutton oversaw one of the city’s biggest public works projects to date — the installation of a new wastewater treatment plant.

The city broke ground on the multi-million dollar plant back in March 2011. The system provided the city with a modern and upgraded plant capable of supporting growth in Braidwood of up to 15,000 residents.

“We know what we do is important, and we do it right,” Hutton told the Braidwood Journal about the work of the City Council and building the plant back in 2012.

Always prepared, Hutton delivered a somewhat lengthy report at almost every meeting of the City Council during his 12 year tenure, accounting for all of the man hours worked by employees in his department. During the last election, Hutton told this newspaper that he wanted to see similar reports by elected officials on department activity become mandatory at every public meeting.

Even after the most recent election was lost, Hutton remained a fixture at City Hall, attending meetings and making himself available to residents and elected officials who had questions about city government.

In addition to serving as an elected official, he also served on the Zoning Board for many years, and was on the Community Care Food Pantry board. Hutton volunteered most Tuesday mornings with the center, and assisted in special deliveries for the pantry.

Hutton was a lifelong resident of the area. He graduated from Wilmington High School in 1964, and was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local #150 for 53 years. He retired from Gallagher Asphalt in Joliet in 2006.

Hutton is survived by his wife Angie and their children, James and Lori. He was 72 years old.

Visitation will be held Friday at R.W. Patterson funeral home in Braidwood.

Hutton's obituary can be found at the following link:
http://freepressnewspapers.com/content/james-hutton