Winnetka Park Board candidates split into slates, defying caucus endorsements

Two, three-candidate tickets have emerged in the race for the Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners.

And they cross caucus lines.

Incumbent Colleen Root is endorsed by the Winnetka Caucus but has joined forces with Mary Garrison and Steve Juliusson for the Open The Parks slate. And Elise Gibson (Duda) and Scott Corley, the two other options endorsed by the caucus, team with Freddy Johnson to form the Vote 1-2-4 slate.

Read profiles of all six candidates in The Record’s Meet the Candidates feature.

Matthew McCarron is no longer active in the election; though, he may still appear on ballots. Earlier in the campaign, Garrison announced her resignation from the race, but said in an email that she rejoined once McCarron decided to drop.

Garrison is a former longtime Winnetka Park Board member, serving from 1991-2007, and a past president. She is a regular participant in board meetings, often speaking in favor of open spaces. During the caucus process, Garrison was a floor nomination but did not win the caucus’s endorsement.

The slates

Open The Parks was formed “with the goal of creating a new Park Board majority that prioritizes community-driven decisions and true government transparency,” said Root in an email to The Record.

She added, “We are committed to listening to the community and focusing on improving and expanding parks, facilities, and programs in line with public input. Above all, we believe local government officials have a fiduciary responsibility to uphold transparency, honesty, and fiscal stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

The 1-2-4 platform championed by Gibson, Corley and Johnson focuses on supporting residents and “progress with integrity.”

“We will listen to ALL (emphasis theirs) of the voices in the community and not just a select few who feel they know what is best for everyone,” it reads on their website. “We pledge to make all efforts to foster a harmonious and productive working relationship with each taxing body and to work tirelessly toward common goals.”

What’s at stake

The Winnetka Park Board has endured a tumultuous four years — much of the tension revolving around the park district’s plans to renovate its beachfront.

Root, along with fellow Park Board member Cynthia Rapp, has been a consistent critic of those plans, specifically any collaboration with lakefront property owner and park neighbor Justin Ishbia, such as a now-dormant property exchange and his family’s conditional donation of $3 million.

The board voted 5-2 in April 2024 to censure Root for allegedly violating the board’s code of ethics by disrespecting and undermining board decisions.

Amid the turmoil, the Winnetka Caucus endorsed Root as the only incumbent in the race. Expiring members Warren James, Root’s most vocal opponent, and Eric Lussen are rolling off the board after two terms apiece.

The Park Board is also looking to mend its relationship with the Village of Winnetka. After a village commission voted not to recommend the district’s plans for Centennial Park Beach, James Hemmings resigned from the Park Board and issued a scathing statement against village officials and their process.

James has also criticized the Village multiple times during public Park Board sessions.

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