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Health & Fitness

Winnetka Caucus Candidates Fully Vetted

The Winnetka Caucus was formed in 1915 to ensure citizen influence in Village administration.  It is a volunteer, non-partisan, participatory form of self-government.  Unique in so many ways, Winnetka's Caucus is grassroots democracy, involving all residents in local government by formulating platforms to guide policy based upon an annual survey, and vetting/slating candidates to fill vacancies on all four taxing-body Boards: Village Council, District 36 School Board, Park Board and Library Board.  All 8,994 suburban Cook County registered voters in this Village are part of the Caucus.  All of us are represented by the Caucus Council, those 80 or so neighbors from each voting precinct, who have lived in Winnetka for at least two years, and are of voting age.  They serve up to three years, dividing up into committees to produce the surveys and resulting platforms, and slate of candidates for local office.

From time to time, residents have questioned our caucus method of candidate slating and platform setting.  One year the Caucus slate is labeled the "dream team" and the next year we see an opposition slate.  One year we hear that the Village Candidate Committee was "infiltrated" by particular agenda-minded residents, another year it's benign.  Historically (and I believe this year as well), our neighbors serving on the Caucus Council sought and found, candidates who were open-minded, had no agenda, and were unbiased listeners willing to selflessly dedicate countless hours of unpaid, volunteer time to try and do what is in the best interests of the entire community.  These candidates periodically find themselves in the local political fishbowl subject to personal attacks, the likes of which I am intimately familiar.  This year, while all three candidates for Trustee were overwhelmingly approved at the annual Town Meeting, two are already being attacked.  One ostensibly because he has only resided in Winnetka for 2-1/2 years (although he attended NTHS) and is not afraid of a stormwater financing referendum, the other because she was not physically present at two Caucus functions.  One can review the minutes from Village Council meetings to see participation of current Trustees.  Trustee participation counts - they vote - we are all impacted.  Not all have perfect attendance records.  Is a sitting Trustee missing Council meetings or a candidate participating by Skype at a Town Meeting more egregious?

It is unfortunate that after approving the Village candidate slate and defeating the Village platforms at this year's town meeting, a majority of folks left and didn't hear the platforms for Schools, Parks and Library taxing districts.  Did you know that School District 36 takes 39.71% of every property tax dollar, expends over $24,000.00 per student and holds in reserves an accumulated amount that is currently over 100% of its yearly operating budget?  With very informative survey results and decisive platforms, the Schools Platform Chair was addressing an empty gymnasium.  

Let's hope that the voting booths around Winnetka on March 18, 2014 are not empty.  Typically, turnout is low (a few hundred votes) unless it is a presidential election.  When I was slated by the Caucus Council for president in 2009 (and was contested by an outside slate) more Winnetkans voted at that Town Meeting than in our subsequent general election.  Our town meeting was our "primary" where we discussed, debated and deliberated issues and candidates.  Lately, we see candidates bypass the Caucus Council process and town meeting, gathering the necessary petition signatures from like-minded residents to get their name on the ballot.  With an advisory referendum regarding extraordinary stormwater expenditures and more candidates for Village Trustee than open seats, my hope is that voters educate themselves about the issues and candidates, that we have great voter turnout, and then all work together, whatever the outcome.

Best wishes to all this holiday season.  Jessica Tucker, Winnetka Village President 2009-2013, Winnetka Village Trustee 2004-2008

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