Sandy Frum to Seek Re-Election

With five Village Board terms expiring in April, at least four incumbents plan to seek re-election .

Village President Sandy Frum, Village Clerk Deborah Ford, along with Board Trustees Todd Heller and Kathryn Ciesla have confirmed plans to seek another term at .

“I plan to see reelection so that I am able to continue my service to the residents and businesses of Northbrook,” Frum wrote in an email.

Trustee Michael Scolaro, whose term is also expiring, is still on the fence about the April election. 

"I've been in deliberations on this issue for the better part of the last month or so," Scolaro said. "I'm just trying to make sure I have enough time to commit to the effort."

The Northbrook Caucus of 2013

Scolaro has until Friday Sept. 28 to make a decision. That's the deadline for Northbrook Caucus Candidate Applications. Though the Caucus is not a prospective candidate's only method for appearing on the April ballot, it's certainly a proven method. 

Only one Village President in recent history, Eugene Marks in 2005, won a municial election against a Caucus-slated candidate. Marks lost a re-election bid in 2009 against Sandy Frum. 

Subcommittees composed of local volunteers slate caucus candidates. These volunteers must be Northbrook residents registered to vote. People are ineligible to volunteer if they have served on the Caucus in both of the last two election cycles, 2009 and 2011, and a single voting precinct cannot produce more than three volunteers. No Caucus member is a current office-holder. 

"We're trying to recruit as many volunteers as we can," said Caucus Chairman Tony Ryan. Subcommittees generally have about 15 volunteers, though there is no formal limit on how many volunteers are welcome on a committee.

Once a resident volunteers for a Caucus subcommittee, they are responsible for assessing which incumbents will seek re-election, previous board performance and additional candidate recruitment. 

On Saturday, Oct. 13, prospective candidates will appear before the Caucus in a private interview session to state their case for a nomination. On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Caucus will present its nominations to the public in a Town Hall meeting at the auditorium, where members of the public will also have an opportunity to state their case for a revised nomination. 

If someone petitions the Caucus to reconsider a nomination, Town Hall attendees will have a chance to vote on which candidate should receive the Caucus slate on the April ballot, with the potential to override initial nominations. 

The current Caucus by-laws were approved on March 21, 1982, though Caucus Secretary, Paul Veith, suspects the party existed in past elections as well. 

"Through the subcommittee process, you end up determining what's on people's minds from the perspective of the Village," Veith said. 

An online application is available for prospective Caucus volunteers. People may call or email Paul Veithor Tony Ryan (312-853-4718) for more information. 

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