Out of the Caucus Closet: Letter

The following letter was written and submitted by Dr. Marilyn Prodromos and Carol Fessler, candidates for Winnetka Village Board.

This election is not about the future of the Caucus. It’s about the future of Winnetka.

Caucus has been faltering for years. When we won as independents in 2014, we hoped Caucus would get its house in order. Unfortunately things got worse as leaders of YourWinnetka brazenly took control of what should be a non-partisan Caucus. We no longer consider the Caucus to be non-partisan on Village issues.

As incumbents up for re-election, we wanted this election campaign aired in the open - out of the Caucus closet - where our records as trustees can be judged directly by voters. Where, along with Kristin Ziv, we have participated in every non-partisan forum available. At Meet & Greets we engaged with small groups. And walking the town, we’ve rung over 3,000 doorbells and spoken directly with 1,000 voters. In so doing, we have once again raised the bar in running the most inclusive, transparent campaign in Winnetka’s history.

To understand the questions raised about WHOA you need to understand YourWinnetka - a particularly dangerous secret in the Caucus closet.

YourWinnetka is the latest name for a coalition of politically active groups that have advocated on behalf of issues such as affordable housing and against others such as stormwater relief projects. It dates back to the 1990s when Louise Holland was part of a movement to preserve old homes in Winnetka and establish historical districts. So Louise Holland could be viewed as the matriarch of YourWinnetka.

YourWinnetka members today hold the very top leadership positions in the Winnetka Caucus and have slated their friends for Village Council.

WHOA was started in response to the historic preservation movement in the 1990s. Carry Buck and Ann Dillon saw this movement as an assault on homeowners’ property rights. So they began a counter movement which they called Winnetka Homeowners Association, or WHOA. While YourWinnetka is constantly active in Winnetka politics, WHOA goes dormant until an issue comes to a head at election time.

It is no surprise that, once the Caucus slated Louise Holland for Village Trustee, WHOA came out of retirement to endorse the Winnetka Independent slate of candidates. We value WHOA’s endorsement of our stand on the issues. And we appreciate its effort to help level the playing field against the combined resources of YourWinnetka and the Caucus.

The Caucus wants you to vote for their candidates – not because you agree with them on the issues, but because they want you to help the Caucus save face.

I have no idea whether the Caucus can regain the credibility it once had. I do know that if the Caucus does fall apart, as virtually every other municipal caucus in the State of Illinois has done, Winnetka will be just fine. Candidates will get endorsements from local groups and appear at local forums and perhaps even go door-to-door. Discussion of our issues and candidates will come out of the Caucus closet and into the open.

Vote for the candidates who are best for the future of Winnetka, and let the Caucus look after itself.