A Better Winnetka

 Come to the Annual Town Meeting

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

At the Skokie School Auditorium

7:30 p.m.

For over 94 years, Winnetka has utilized the caucus system to systematically screen, identify, interview and slate candidates for open Village positions.

In 1915 the Village of Winnetka officially adopted the Caucus form of non-partisan self-government where everyone who has a vote has a voice. Today, our Caucus is one of the country's most successful. The aim of this Caucus is to bring together a representative body of citizens, fairly harmonious with respect to policies in order that a ticket of fit candidates, standing for those policies, may be presented to the voters. [quotes are from the Winnetka Caucus website]

This year, numerous positions will be determined: Village President, 3 Village Trustees, 4 Park Board positions, 4 Library Board positions, and 3 School Board positions.

What is the Caucus Council?

The work of the Caucus is carried out by the 72 member Caucus Council. Four residents from each of Winnetka's 17 voting precints, and up to four at-large members from Northfield and Glencoe serve on the Council for up to three years each. Any resident of the Village of Winnetka, or of the Winnetka Park or Library districts can serve. [...]

The Caucus Council is the community's liaison to the four Boards that comprise Winnetka's government - Village Council, Park, Schools and Library Boards. During the first part of the year, the committees explore issues of concern to both the community and the boards, then seek the community's input on the Annual Survey. During the second part of the year, the committees recruit, interview and slate candidates for any open positions on the four boards. The caucus sponsors the two Town Meetings, publishes, collects and tabulates the Annual Survey (and now the e-survey), hosts ...[the] website, http://www.winnetkacaucus.org/home, and slates candidates and writes the platforms by which the Village boards are guided. [...] [quote from the Winnetka Caucus website]

In the past year, the Caucus Council, represented by members from all districts in the town and from diverse viewpoints, carefully screened and interviewed candidates for all positions and recommended the top candidates for each slate. During all phases of its selection process, the Caucus Council tried very hard, very carefully and respectably to be fair and impartial. The Council looked for candidates that have a broad view of the Village of Winnetka and who are without an agenda or single issue focus.

The Caucus Council will present its candidates to the entire Caucus (the residents of the Village) at the Annual Town Meeting on January 15th. The residents attending the meeting will vote to finalize the selection of candidates who will run as the official Caucus candidates during the spring election. Normally this process is uneventful and is just a ratification of the Caucus Council's recommendations. This year, however, the Village and Park Board slates selected by the Caucus Council are being contested by other Village residents (see Winnetka Talk article and another Winnetka Talk article). In order to help decide which candidates ultimately become the Caucus candidates, residents must attend the Annual Town meeting and vote. This year, your vote will definitely impact the future of our Village for years to come!!!