Dupage Policy Journal

Hinsdale will soon be without its long-time village clerk Christine Bruton who announced her plans to retire at the beginning of December after serving the village for 16 years.

Bruton started working for Hinsdale as a utility billing clerk in 2005 and was promoted to village clerk the following year.

"The village of Hinsdale has been a part of my life and my family’s for almost two decades," Bruton said during the Nov. 15 trustees meeting. "At the risk of being a municipal nerd, I think about how in ten, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, people will look up the minutes I wrote that will talk about the work that you've done. And while it's not exactly a great American novel, I feel a little bit published. So I'm proud of that work. And I'm really, really grateful to all of you for this experience in my life."

In her tenure, Bruton has attended at least 340 village meetings and sworn in more than 30 village trustees. 

She's well known in Hinsdale and has become the face of village government. Her colleagues said she's known for always cheerfully answering the phone and helping with whatever complaint or issue is brought up. She's also dealt with over 5,500 FOIA requests throughout her career. Assistant village manager Andrea Peterson will step in as the interim clerk until the position is permanently filled. 

Bruton's family attended the trustees meeting to celebrate her retirement and witness the proclamation issued by the village that honored her 16 years of service and thanked her for all the hard work and generosity she has shared with Hinsdale. The board also thanked her for everything she had done for them over the years.