Candidates for the Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners emphasized the need for transparency and for the park district to retain its land at a candidate forum earlier this month. Much of that discussion was fueled by a proposed land swap between the park district and a private homeowner that ultimately failed.
Only one of the park district’s sitting commissioners, Colleen Root, is running for re-election in the April 1 Cook County consolidated election. In Winnetka, the park district board is made up of seven volunteer commissioners who serve staggered four-year terms, and three seats are up for a vote in the April election.
Of the candidates competing for those three seats, Elise Gibson, Steven Juliusson, Mary Garrison, Freddy Johnson and Root attended the forum.
Opening statements
Juliusson said he is running on a platform of “open beaches, open lands and open government.”
Garrison said she is running for the board because, “I care too much about Winnetka’s parks and shared spaced to idly sit by.”
“Our parks bring people together and support an active lifestyle, but once we lose our open space in Winnetka, we can’t get it back.” Garrison continued. “That’s why I’m committed to protecting them. Winnetka leaders had the foresight to create these spaces for us, it is our responsibility to preserve them.”
Johnson, a Winnetka native, said his first job in the 9th grade was working at the Winnetka Ice Arena.
“I’d like to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities that we have to be active…” Johnson said. “We know how crucial it is for our kids’ cognitive development, and how crucial it is for us as adults, for our mental health. I would like to do this while being fiscally responsible.”
Root, an incumbent commissioner who was censured by the board in 2024 after she repeatedly protested the board’s attempt for a land swap between the park district and a homeowner, also spoke in support of the park district keeping its land.
“Let’s protect our green space. Let’s not give it away for 50 years to a single resident,” Root said.
Gibson said she has lived in Winnetka for 17 years, raised her son in the village and used the park district’s services when he was growing up.
“I feel like it’s my time to give back to the community and give thanks to the people that provided such a wonderful experience to our family,” she said.
Priorities
Candidates were asked what their primary goals are for the park district and their overall vision for it.
“My primary goals is to protect the open space. If any space becomes available, any land, you can try to purchase it, but do not take our space away as it exists today,” Garrison said.
Johnson said his priorities are for the park district to maintain its relationship with other taxing bodies and for the board to work well with the park district staff. “I would like to increase opportunities, both quality and quantity, for our youth and our adults to get out,” he added.
Root said her priority is to listen to feedback to open Elder Beach. The beach has been closed for more than five years due to unsafe conditions, according to previous reporting.
Gibson agreed, “Elder Beach needs to be opened as quickly as possible, but in a very thoughtful way.”
Challenges
Candidates were asked what they saw as the biggest challenges that park district is facing.
Root said the park district is not transparent and isn’t involved enough with the community to understand its needs. She also supported collaboration between the park district and Village Board.
Gibson said she also wanted more community involvement, but also acknowledged that the traditional way it has been done can’t involve everyone. “We have a community with a lot of very busy people, and so to provide that information in a clear and concise way is very challenging,” she said.
Juliusson shared his frustrations with the current board, which he said some refer to as a “renegade board.”
“They need to listen to the community… You can go to a meeting and you can give a comment, but you cannot get an answer, which is crazy, because we should be able to do that in a democracy,” he said.
Garrison said she is in favor of changing the park district’s boat storage at Lloyd Park so that it’s more fair to all boat owners. She also favored having fewer park district programs be outsourced.
Garrison said she favors residents making the decisions regarding bigger projects through a referendum, especially because of the financial impact it might have on property taxes.
“If there’s a project the size that is being proposed at the lakefront, it must go out to referendum,” she said.
“We have to look at our taxes… I know we’re a small portion of the big pot, but percentage-wise, our taxes have gone up.”
