Did you know that the only government entities in the City of Lake Forest which predate the Caucus are:

City Council (1872)
Library Board (1872)
Cemetery Board (1881)
Zoning Board of Appeals (1923)
Plan Commission (1926)

PO vertical courtesy LFLBHS

History of the Lake Forest Caucus

Since 1935, the mission of the Lake Forest Caucus has been to provide an open, independent, nonpartisan process for recommending qualified citizen volunteers to serve in Lake Forest government and on the School Boards. All Lake Forest registered voters are members of the Caucus.

The Lake Forest Caucus nominates residents for placement on local election ballots as Caucus candidates for City wide offices of Mayor, Alderman District 67 and District 115 School Boards. The Caucus also interviews and recommends each year over 100 volunteers for open positions on the 19 Boards and Commissions (i.e. Plan, Historic Preservation, Parks and Recreation, and Library) to provide leadership, establish policy and oversee budgets. A complete listing can be found in the Lake Forest Directory at www.cityoflakeforest.com.

Residents who embrace community service as their civic responsibility and wish to volunteer are encouraged to become members of the Caucus Committee. A 36 member Caucus Committee, 9 members from each of the 4 Wards identify, interview, recruit and recommend qualified fellow Lake Forest residents to serve on various City Boards and Commissions. Each year the Caucus Committee must replace 12 of its 36 elected members. Residents interested in serving either in City government or on the Caucus Committee can contact their Ward Chair and complete a Volunteer Profile Sheet (VPS).

The Caucus Committee is an excellent way to meet fellow residents interested in serving our community, to better understand the issues facing the City of Lake Forest and to have a positive impact on the operation of City government. All Lake Forest registered voters are eligible to serve on the Caucus Committee and new members are chosen by mail-in ballots sent in April each year to all Lake Forest households.

The Caucus is funded entirely through donations of supporters and friends. The Caucus Cocktail Party is our annual fundraiser. Contributions are the only source of income for the Caucus. You can support the work of the Caucus Committee volunteers by making a contribution. Please consider making a donation to the Caucus. Your contribution will:

1. Enable open and responsive government
2. Communicate with Lake Forest residents through the Caucus Connection Newsletter
3. Publicize open positions in the City,for the School Board, and Caucus Committee
4. Encourage qualified residents to step forward and serve our community
5. Support endorsed candidates for elected positions

We thank everyone who has contibuted in the past and hope that you will continue to support the work of the Caucus.

The Lake Forest Caucus is an open volunteer organization whose main purpose is identifying qualified candidates to serve as volunteers for The City of Lake Forest’s Boards and Commissions. For over 72 years the Lake Forest Caucus has served as a forum to attract qualified and willing candidates to such positions with the goal of keeping Lake Forest the special place it is. All Lake Forest registered voters are members of the Caucus and are eligible to participate in and vote at all Caucus public meetings.

The governing body of The Lake Forest Caucus is the Caucus Committee on Candidates (commonly referred to as the Caucus Committee). The Caucus Committee, representing registered voters, has thirty-six elected members (nine members from each of the city’s four wards) and a six member Executive Committee. Twelve of the thirty-six elected ward members are elected each year, members are limited to a maximum of one three-year term. The Executive Committee is elected annually at the Caucus’s public Annual Meeting, and officers are limited to a maximum of three one-year terms.

The Caucus is neither a political party nor a policy making branch of any unit of local government and is non-partisan. To nurture constant evolution of the governments it serves, the Caucus subscribes to the principal of term limits, starting with the election of its own committee. Each year, three registered voters of Lake Forest are elected from each ward by written ballot mailed to each Lake Forest household with a registered voter. The tenure of each elected ward Committee member is limited to a single three-year term. As the Caucus is a non-partisan committee without a "platform" the candidates who are recommended for elected positions (by voters in local election) or recommended for appointed positions (by the Mayor of Lake Forest or Presidents of the school boards) are evaluated by their capabilities for the position, how informed they are, how well they treat their fellow citizens and how diligent they are in their willingness to serve the City of Lake Forest.