Rutledge Ready for the Challenge

John Rutledge picked up the phone to find Mayor Mike Gresk and news he’d been nominated to fill a vacant seat on the Wheaton City Council.

Rutledge’s reaction was “kind of a mixed one,” he acknowledged, filled with excitement and something of a reality check.

“There's a lot of learning to do,” he said Wednesday.

The council has been one member short since Howard Levine stepped down with two years left on his term. Gresk and the council sorted out a field of 11 applicants for the seat, with Rutledge rising to the top from a final four with “superior credentials.” His appointment will be made official at a special City Council meeting on Monday.

“He brings a very broad perspective,” Gresk explained, pointing to Rutledge’s business background and 40 years as a Wheaton resident. “People are always proud of their Wheaton lineage. That gives him an incredible perspective.”

Rutledge has lived in the same house since 1971. In those days, the home had a cornfield in the back yard, Wheaton Warrenville South High School didn’t exist and Butterfield and Naperville roads were both two lanes, Rutledge recalled.

“There’s been enormous growth and change,” he said.

While his personal history lends him a certain institutional knowledge of the city, his business background rounds out his strengths. He worked for many years in commercial construction financing and, in recent years, has been a private real estate consultant. That has put him in plan commission and council meetings working to get projects.

“I have experience on that side of the table,” Rutledge, 66, said.

Rutledge, who commended the council’s work and leadership over the years, said he wants the city to maintain financial prudence that uses caution during boom times and is prepared for when the economy struggles.

Areas he is eager to learn more about include the state of city infrastructure and a stronger grasp of the depth of civic activity in the community.

Rutledge will be one of three new council members in the coming weeks, as two seats are up for grabs in the April 5 election.

“That’s going to be quite a change,” Gresk said, noting confidence the panel will continue its work with a consensus approach to the issues it faces.