Winnetka, simplified.
With clarity, transparency, and a balanced point of view.
Winnetka's Village Council has fallen into a habit of governing by control, not by consensus — and there are consequences. From the lakefront bluffs to the Centennial dog beach to the new open space district, it keeps reaching for authority over land it does not own.
Look next door. Wilmette's Plaza Del Lago redevelopment more than doubled the sales tax that center generated over six months. Wilmette issued 36 new business licenses between August 2025 and April 2026, and its commercial vacancy rate has reportedly fallen to about 6 percent from 9 percent in 2024. Winnetka has owned the former Post Office site for more than 40 years and is still studying it.
Three fights — the bluffs, the dog beach, the open space district — and one habit behind them: decide first, work out the details later, and treat fellow elected boards as applicants to be managed. The Village has more than $600 million in potential capital needs waiting on a plan. The path ends in higher taxes and fees for every household in Winnetka.
Read the full op-ed →The third fight returns to the Council on December 1. Everything OTW has gathered, in one place: what the two ordinances actually do, what changes if public land is ever sold, the full map, all 44 properties, where each board stands, the timeline from April 14 to December 1, and how to be heard before the vote.
Every year, stalled development on key Village parcels costs each Winnetka household an estimated $3,000–$5,000 in lost property tax revenue — revenue that would offset your levy. Plus $440 in new fees in 2026, and $20K per household if the $100M stormwater plan moves forward as proposed.
Explore Your Money →Days the Post Office site has been idle since 2007 — nearly 18 years. Plus 5+ years with Tower Road Pier closed and five straight Capital Improvement Plan deadlines missed. Plus the years Elder Lane Beach remained contaminated while the Village delayed testing.
Explore Your Time →Just 65 residents decide who governs all 12,750 of us — that's how many attended the last Winnetka Caucus Council meeting, the body that sets the slate for every Village board. Reforms like online voting access and published candidate criteria are long overdue.
Explore Your Investment →On October 20 the Council deadlocked 3–3 and continued both ordinances to December 1. Between now and then, write to contactcouncil@winnetka.org — correspondence goes into the public packet — and then come to Village Hall and sign up to speak. On October 20 only a handful of residents did. Bring a neighbor who has never been.