Politics & Government

Trustee Kati Spaniak Says She Won't Run Again; Criticizes Northbrook Caucus

Citizens screening group recommends longtime trustees James Karagianis, A.C. Buehler III and Robert Israel, a member of Northbrook's Stormwater Management Commission.

After the Northbrook Caucus (a citizen's screening committee) did not recommend her for reelection, village trustee Kati Spaniak said she has decided not to run again when her term expires in April—and she takes issue with the way the group handled the process.

"I didn't realize what politics was until I went through this process," Spaniak said, explaining that she was upset with the way committee member Robert Holt presented her at the caucus town meeting Nov. 13, when attendees voted on a slate of candidates selected by the all-volunteer group.

"He proceeded to do a two-minute critique, character assassination of me," Spaniak said. "In the past, there has been no disclosure of other candidates who went before the caucus."

Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Northbrook Caucus meets every two years and is open to anyone, so long as there are no more than three people from each precinct in Northbrook and no member serves for more than two years in a row. The group forms subcommittees to consider and vote on candidates for village, library, park district and school board offices, then presents their recommendations to the caucus as a whole. The entire group votes on a slate of recommended candidates, then presents those candidates at a town meeting open to any resident, where every attendee also votes. The candidates who gain the most votes at that meeting are the candidates the caucus puts forth as its slate for the next local election.

"Basically, it's a political party that comes into existence every two years," explained caucus chair and first-time volunteer Paul Veith, who also served on the subcommittee to consider village trustees. "I take issue with anybody who suggests the process was not thorough or fair, because it sort of is an insult to the 13 people on that subcommittee, who very diligently gave two nights, two full long nights to interview, hear from candidates and then make recommendations to the caucus."

Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Spaniak has served on the board of trustees for the past two years, since President Sandra Frum appointed her to fill the seat vacated when Frum was elected president. Previously, Spaniak worked with the caucus on marketing materials for its 2009 slate.

A realtor by profession, she was one of five candidates who submitted applications to the caucus for positions on the village board of trustees. Three seats are up for grabs in 2011; Spaniak's seat and the seats of longtime trustees James Karagianis and A.C. Buehler III. Karagianis and Buehler also submitted applications, as well as Robert Israel and Mark Lichtman, two candidates new to the political process.

Both the caucus subcommittee, the caucus as a whole and the attendees at the town meeting voted to put Karagianis, Buehler and Israel on the slate, according to Veith. Israel is a member of the Northbrook Stormwater Management Commission and a civil engineer.

Veith said Israel's professional experience and service on the stormwater commission were deciding factors in his own vote.

"Flood control is a huge issue facing the village, as I've learned through this process," Veith said. "He has a a set of skills and background that isn't currently represented on the board and lines up well with the village's needs."

As for whether the caucus process was fair, Veith said he disputed Spaniak's assertions.

"Members of the caucus take it seriously and have no other agenda than to do what's best for Northbrook," he said. "I think [Robert Holt] explained the basis for the subcommittee's recommendation and, in my view, didn't go out of his way to attack Ms. Spaniak's character."

But Spaniak said the time Holt spent talking about her felt like a personal, unwarranted attack.  

"I had to go back and say to myself, what is my purpose here, what am I really trying to do?" she said. "I have young children, I am not a politician, and I knew that I was no match for this person, and I did not want to put my family or myself through that."

While she won't be running for trustee again, Spaniak said the experience hasn't soured politics for her and she plans to continue her involvement in Northbrook.

"I believe that I can make a difference, and that's what I want to do," she said. "If it's not on the board, it's doing other things."

Along with fellow Northbrook trustee Kathryn Ciesla and Wilmette trustee Mike Basil, Spaniak has started PROIllinois, a group that hopes to reform pensions at the local government level. She's also started a blog called "Get Involved Northbrook."

Looking back on her time as a trustee, Spaniak said she's proud of the work she's done, citing her efforts to improve transparency on the village board and her advocacy for pension reform.

"I feel very good about the fiscal responsibility that I've been very strong on," she added.

And, Spaniak said, she hopes she's set a record of listening to community members that will continue once she's off the board.

"I hope that the people who counted on me, I hope that they believe in me, I hope that they trusted me," she said. "And I hope that we continue to work together as a community in Northbrook."

Village President Sandra Frum declined to comment for this article.

Candidates for the office of village trustee may submit their applications beginning next Monday, Dec. 13, through Dec. 20 at .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here