Letter to the Editor: Why You Should Take the Caucus Council Survey

As a two-year resident of Winnetka, I have a few observations that might help newcomers and long-time residents consider their role in our community.

We moved from California where the concept of the ballot proposition reigns supreme; that is, “a law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote...”(wikipedia.com).

It sounds great in theory but it doesn’t always work. The one major drawback is a strong lobby group can distribute misinformation that benefits their organization. If voters do not read the background on the propositions, it is easy to be swayed one way rather than voting on what is best for the constituency.

Oftentimes there are 10 propositions on the election ballot. Therefore with children, jobs and other life commitments, it is easy to be convinced by whichever group spends the most time and money in advertising. That could easily happen here in Winnetka, but we cannot let it.

We have a caucus system in Winnetka. Many people do not realize that every voting age resident in the village is automatically a member of the Caucus. This means that your voice and your vote counts equally with every other resident in Winnetka. Despite information to the contrary, the is not affiliated with any political party or with any lobbies or politicians.

It serves the community with volunteers who are your neighbors. Personally, I have served as Library Committee Chair, and my committee and I created survey questions based on our observations from attending monthly board meetings and board study sessions.

This has been a very fulfilling experience. Your neighbors volunteer their time to represent you and your interests by creating a survey every September. Your neighbors then create platforms from your responses to that survey.

At the Winnetka Winter Town Meeting every November, you and your fellow residents/Caucus members vote on the platforms you want the four governing bodies to work on in the next year: the Winnetka-Northfield Library District Board, the Winnetka Village Council, the District 36 Schools and Winnetka Park District. The board presidents then attend the Winnetka Spring Town Meeting the following May to report how their boards have performed against the platforms. This is how it is supposed to work, and, from my point of view, it does work. But it can only work if each resident, i.e., each Caucus member, does his or her part. Here is how you can help:

1.  Fill out the Survey:< www.winnetkacaucus.org> In the mail, each household will receive a six (6) digit code to use in order to access the survey. Up to three household members of voting age can use the code. The Survey is anonymous and will take approximately 40 minutes to complete. Do not start until you intend to finish because you may not stop and come back to the Survey at a later time. You can see a sample of the Survey on-line first, if necessary. The deadline is September 14.

2.  Attend the Winter and Spring Town Meetings to have your say. Every vote counts and often one vote makes a difference. There are Caucus rule changes to vote on, too.

3.  Finally, please volunteer to be on the Caucus Council. People are busy and not everyone can attend board meetings, but for those of you who can must. What happens in our village depends on it. Go to <www.winnetkacaucus.org> to learn how to volunteer. There is also a space on the Survey to volunteer. I did that last year and it has been a great learning experience. Note: Each resident is limited to only three years on the Caucus Council and is then required to take one year off. So, even if you volunteered in the past, it is time to come back. We need you, Winnetka needs you.

If you are like me and you care about Winnetka, take your concerns a step farther and get involved. A professor in college once wrote on the chalkboard “think globally, act locally” and that adage has stuck with me. 

Your neighbor,

Jennifer Greenow

The Survey is attached in the Patch media gallery. Please note that residents can use the PDF for review before they complete their online version. Residents can print out this pdf, but must include their unique 6-digit resident code if they want to submit their answers.