Chicago Tribune - November 12, 2023

Lake Forest Caucus general membership rejects controversial bylaw change; 'I think it (would) make the process more secret'

By Daniel I. Dorfman
November 14, 2023 at 6:23 AM CT


A controversial proposed bylaw change for the Lake Forest Caucus has been defeated by the organization’s general membership.


A plan presented by the caucus leadership — labeled the Caucus Preservation Act — that would have removed a general membership acceptance vote of the Caucus Committee endorsements for candidates for elected office received only 723 votes, with 831 voting against at the caucus annual meeting on Nov. 7.


The bylaw change required a two-thirds vote for passage under caucus rules.


Following the spirited mayoral election of earlier this year, caucus officials proposed the bylaw change, saying they were concerned the lengthy efforts of caucus volunteers to vet residents for city government roles could be upended by a small group of residents at the organization’s annual meeting.



Interest in the proposed bylaw change drew more than 1,500 voters, with lines of people stretching out the Gorton Center’s doors throughout the four-hour voting period.


Among those who said they voted against the bylaw changes was Mike Georgen.


“I think it (would) make the process more secret,” he said.


Another voter, Jim Bissing, also said he was going to vote against the proposed change.


“I prefer things to stay the way they are, as they have always seemed to work well,” Bissing said.



Supporters of the bylaw change included Kathleen Gherlein.


“I think the caucus has been a standing entity in the community for about 90 years, and they have served the community well,” she said.


Offering a similar sentiment was Sylvia Neumann.


“I think this is a respectable organization that chooses the best people for the community, and the vote seems to be contradicting the support of our representatives,” Neumann noted.



The morning after the annual meeting, the caucus leadership acknowledged defeat in a letter to the community.


“The Caucus shall continue to serve the community in the same way it has for the last 90 years,” Caucus officials wrote. “It shall continue to identify, evaluate, and recommend volunteers for appointment to city boards and commissions and election to city council, mayor, and school boards based on its merit-driven, agenda-free process.


“We thank all those who participate in and honor the Caucus process that helps ensure the most qualified volunteers serve in Lake Forest government,” they wrote.


Caucus President Christopher Benes said in an interview he was surprised by the results.


“I thought the spirit of what we were trying to do benefited everyone in Lake Forest,” Benes said. “It wasn’t intended to deprive anyone of any specific rights.


“The spirit of what we were trying to do was to ensure and strengthen the ability of the caucus to select the best volunteers without that process being interfered with,” he continued. “I thought that was the most important thing to optimize in the bylaws.”


The vote marked a new chapter for the nearly century-old Lake Forest Caucus.


Like many North Shore communities, Lake Forest city government relies on its caucus to interview and vet residents interested in serving in different ways. The Caucus Committee — which has representatives from all four of the city’s wards — recommends candidates for boards and commissions to the mayor and City Council.


The caucus also endorses candidates for mayor, City Council and the city’s two public school boards, who then run in the municipal elections, often unopposed.


Prospective candidates hope to get Caucus Committee recommendations which then go before the caucus general membership ahead of what traditionally had been a pro forma vote at the organization’s annual meeting.


However, at last year’s annual meeting, the general membership did not support the Caucus Committee endorsement of Stanford “Randy” Tack for mayor. The existing bylaws were not clear on how to handle the situation, and the Caucus Committee proceeded with the endorsement of Tack.


With many residents dismayed over that decision, former Alderman Prue Beidler mounted an independent — and ultimately unsuccessful — challenge to Tack in April’s mayoral election. Beidler had been the other finalist in the caucus selection process for mayor, but the Caucus Committee backed Tack.


As the vote was taking place at Gorton, Tack said it was “great” that so many residents were participating in the process, but offered some concern about the future of city government, noting that it has traditionally been an “assiduously nonpartisan, ideally non-agenda-driven organization.”


“It’s not unfortunate that people are interested,” Tack said. “It’s unfortunate that we apparently have reached the same place that other communities have, where partisans are digging in their heels and there is clearly evidence of political party influence going on and we have never had that here.


“I don’t think it is good for Lake Forest,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that we are there, but apparently we are there.”


Beidler saw the issue differently.

“Citizens exercising their right to vote is always a thrilling sight in a democracy,” she said. “I am pleased that the bylaw amendment did not pass.”


Also happy was John Trkla, a founder of Lake Forest for Transparency, a civic outreach group.


“This is a democratic process, and it is a fail-safe vote to ensure that our caucus is listening to our residents,” he said.


While the bylaw amendment proposal was defeated, the Caucus Committee endorsed a slate of City Council candidates for March’s election that was supported by large margins by the general membership.


Incumbents Nancy Novit, 1st, Edward “Ted” Notz, 2nd,and Eileen Looby Weber, 4th,will be seeking new terms, and they will be joined on the caucus slate by Pete Clemens, a Zoning Board of Appeals member.


Clemens is set to succeed Joseph Waldeck as 1st Ward alderman. Waldeck was appointed to the City Council earlier this year to fill a vacancy, but chose not to run in next year’s special election for the last year of the term.


District 67 school board member Alice LeVert is set to join the City Council from the 3rd Ward. She would succeed Jim Preschlack, who is set to come off the City Council after serving the traditional six years.


If elected, LeVert would resign from the District 67 school board, where her term runs through 2025.


District 67 spokeswoman Melissa Oakley said following a community engagement process, a resident would be appointed by the school board to fill out the last year of LeVert’s term.


© 2024 Chicago Tribune