By EDWARD HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Steve Schrage, Quincy Township supervisor for the past 20 years, has been named "township supervisor of the year" in Illinois.

The award was presented to Schrage last week by the Township Supervisors Division during the annual fall conference of the Township Officials of Illinois in Springfield.

"It was quite an honor," Schrage said.

Schrage is just the fourth recipient of the Bob Turner Award, which was established in 2006 to recognize top supervisors from the state's 1,432 townships.

The inaugural award was given to Bob Turner, township supervisor in Boone County's Belvedere Township for 30 years. Then the 2007 award was given to George Miller, executive director of the Township Officials of Illinois for 17 years, before the 2008 award was given to Pat LaVigne, longtime township supervisor in DeKalb.

"I really felt honored to be mentioned in the same sentence with those three individuals," Schrage said. He said each of the previous three recipients "lives and breathes township government."

Schrage is in his sixth four-year term as Quincy Township supervisor. He was first elected in 1989. Before that he previously served as deputy township supervisor for about 10 years.

Schrage has been a member of the Township Officials of Illinois board for the past three years and served on the Township Supervisors Division's board for nine years. He is stepping off both boards this year.

Schrage was recognized for his efforts in establishing an emergency assistance program for seniors that has dispensed more than $24,000 in grants over the past year.

He also was cited for his work years ago in setting up a "workfare" program in the township office that requires recipients of general assistance who do not have a job but physically can work to perform 33 hours of public service work to earn up to $250 a month in aid. The recipients also must prove each month they have applied for work at a minimum of 10 local businesses.

-- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378