patrick duffy
Wilmette Park District
candidate video
responses to voter guide questions
I am a married father of two daughters, one in college and one in Graduate School. Throughout the 22 years we have lived in Wilmette our family has participated in numerous activities offered by the Park District. From the time our girls were young I have volunteered my time in the community - From leading an Adventure Guide grade at Harper, to leading Adventure Guides at Harper School then Co-leading all 5 schools in our Adventure Guides circle. During this time I was also appointed to the Village of Wilmette’s Zoning Board of Appeals where I served 10 years, including as its Chairman the last four years. While on the Zoning Board I helped initiate the creation of a new park in Wilmette - the Elmwood Dunes Preserve where Elmwood Avenue ends at the Lake. In the later years of my service on the Zoning Board I also served the Chicago Association of Realtors on its Audit Committee for 4 years, the last 3 as its Chairman. Over the past 3+ years, I have served the community on the Park District Board, currently serving as its Vice President.
My experiences working on these boards and committees have reinforced for me the importance of working with other board members and staff, listen to opposing opinions, finding common ground to solve problems and move projects forward for the benefit of our community.
And those benefits are numerous-during my time on this board, we have competed the village stormwater management plan, a cooperative effort with the village that saved the taxpayers over $30M; we expanded the platform tennis facility, making it the largest in the country while generating significant operating surpluses to fund other district programming; we have improved the golf course with continuous car paths and upgraded dining options which also generate surpluses to fund other district activities while significantly enhancing the overall experience for the golfers; we renovated a dilapidated Lakeview Center into a gem of the north shore and, most importantly, we approved and are completing the final phase of our Lakefront Master Plan which had been in development since 2007. I would like to highlight that we will have completed over $15M of lakefront renovations during this process without any new taxpayer support, an accomplishment that I believe no other park district in the state (except perhaps the Chicago Park District) could have accomplished.
Questions:
1. Most pressing issue facing Park District:In this moment our most pressing issue is finding a new Executive Director. The Board quickly found an Interim Director during this transition, and we are now actively searching for a permanent replacement. This hire will define the WPD for a generation.
It is alscritical our ongoing Lakefront projects are completed on time and on budget. As noted above, I am very proud that these improvements were undertaken without referendum debt.
2. Financial Priorities:I was one of the only Commissioners to vote against the historic 7.44% tax increase the Board passed for 2025. I remain committed to keeping taxes low. I am fiscally responsible and devoted to providing great parks, programs and facilities for the community, without high taxes.
Municipal finance is complicated. No one wants high taxes and no one wants to underinvest in parks, programs or facilities. But the real work is done behind the scenes leading up to and in fall budget meetings. Throughout that process, I pushed for our net income to outpace our capital expenditures in an effort to keep taxes low and ensure the users of the District’s programs and facilities fund the majority of the District’s expenses. And we have been very successful- roughly 75%, of District revenues come from user fees and other sources besides taxes- an amount unmatched nearly anywhere else in the state.
3. Managed Access Control at South Beach:South Beach is a gem that makes Wilmette the unique place we all love- I have spent nearly two decades enjoying South Beach. Unfortunately, we lost control of South Beach coming out of Covid. South Beach was littered with trash; patrons refused to obey the rules, and staff members were verbally and physically abused. We needed to do something different. So last year, we “managed access”- we installed a fence and added staff- and behaviors on South Beach improved dramatically.
Patrons were still permitted to walk the sand along the water’s edge as Illinois law permits. We also communicated flexibility in the layout of the fence. Alterations to the fence were made and benches added as staff responded to community feedback as well as providing an ADA accessible mat to reach the water similar to those at our other beaches.
This year, we will continue to manage access. While we are still finalizing plans, I expect we will do this without a bright orange fence up against the sidewalk on Overlook Drive. I also expect we will provide additional unpaid access during certain times or days to help those who couldn’t afford the new fees. Our management of south beach in 2024 was an improvement over the recent past, but it was not perfect. I’m confident we can continue to refine the plan in 2025 to better serve all members of our community.
Part of the District’s mission statement is “… protecting open spaces and natural resources for future generations.” Providing safe access to a natural resource such as Lake Michigan is part of protecting it for future generations.
4. Sustainability Coordinator:This is a remarkable example of intergovernmental cooperation, and I’m proud of the role the District played in advocating for this shared effort. All areas of local government can benefit from Lucy Mellen’s expertise. Since hiring Lucy, we have completed all of our landscape plans and have planted over 200 trees with another 100+ planned for 2025. In our January Committee Of the Whole (COW) meeting, Lucy detailed this and so much more - I encourage everyone to review the Sustainability Plan (https://online.fliphtml5.com/gqmek/xpui/#p=1 ). I could not possibly detail all of the improvements she has spearheaded. It is an amazing report. We are not yet a year into the four-year plan and all of the base work has been implemented, most importantly, Education. Staff has embraced the program and public outreach is underway. Some Highlights of the changes and accomplishments
– moving from gas to electric equipment as it is upgraded
- electric vehicles and charging stations the Park District installed around town
- reduction, reuse and recycling efforts in facilities
- removal of invasive species of plants and replanting native species
The District should continue to highlight changes and improvements within the community while promoting their benefits. The District should lead by example and provide opportunities and education on best practices to be more environmentally conscious.
While we are off to a great start, Lucy will be challenged to continue cross agency collaboration to manage this plan to completion. She is coordinating efforts amongst the Village, Park District, District 39 and the Library. The bottom line is we have one of the most talented sustainability coordinators in the country leading our efforts.
My experiences working on these boards and committees have reinforced for me the importance of working with other board members and staff, listen to opposing opinions, finding common ground to solve problems and move projects forward for the benefit of our community.
And those benefits are numerous-during my time on this board, we have competed the village stormwater management plan, a cooperative effort with the village that saved the taxpayers over $30M; we expanded the platform tennis facility, making it the largest in the country while generating significant operating surpluses to fund other district programming; we have improved the golf course with continuous car paths and upgraded dining options which also generate surpluses to fund other district activities while significantly enhancing the overall experience for the golfers; we renovated a dilapidated Lakeview Center into a gem of the north shore and, most importantly, we approved and are completing the final phase of our Lakefront Master Plan which had been in development since 2007. I would like to highlight that we will have completed over $15M of lakefront renovations during this process without any new taxpayer support, an accomplishment that I believe no other park district in the state (except perhaps the Chicago Park District) could have accomplished.
Questions:
1. Most pressing issue facing Park District:In this moment our most pressing issue is finding a new Executive Director. The Board quickly found an Interim Director during this transition, and we are now actively searching for a permanent replacement. This hire will define the WPD for a generation.
It is alscritical our ongoing Lakefront projects are completed on time and on budget. As noted above, I am very proud that these improvements were undertaken without referendum debt.
2. Financial Priorities:I was one of the only Commissioners to vote against the historic 7.44% tax increase the Board passed for 2025. I remain committed to keeping taxes low. I am fiscally responsible and devoted to providing great parks, programs and facilities for the community, without high taxes.
Municipal finance is complicated. No one wants high taxes and no one wants to underinvest in parks, programs or facilities. But the real work is done behind the scenes leading up to and in fall budget meetings. Throughout that process, I pushed for our net income to outpace our capital expenditures in an effort to keep taxes low and ensure the users of the District’s programs and facilities fund the majority of the District’s expenses. And we have been very successful- roughly 75%, of District revenues come from user fees and other sources besides taxes- an amount unmatched nearly anywhere else in the state.
3. Managed Access Control at South Beach:South Beach is a gem that makes Wilmette the unique place we all love- I have spent nearly two decades enjoying South Beach. Unfortunately, we lost control of South Beach coming out of Covid. South Beach was littered with trash; patrons refused to obey the rules, and staff members were verbally and physically abused. We needed to do something different. So last year, we “managed access”- we installed a fence and added staff- and behaviors on South Beach improved dramatically.
Patrons were still permitted to walk the sand along the water’s edge as Illinois law permits. We also communicated flexibility in the layout of the fence. Alterations to the fence were made and benches added as staff responded to community feedback as well as providing an ADA accessible mat to reach the water similar to those at our other beaches.
This year, we will continue to manage access. While we are still finalizing plans, I expect we will do this without a bright orange fence up against the sidewalk on Overlook Drive. I also expect we will provide additional unpaid access during certain times or days to help those who couldn’t afford the new fees. Our management of south beach in 2024 was an improvement over the recent past, but it was not perfect. I’m confident we can continue to refine the plan in 2025 to better serve all members of our community.
Part of the District’s mission statement is “… protecting open spaces and natural resources for future generations.” Providing safe access to a natural resource such as Lake Michigan is part of protecting it for future generations.
4. Sustainability Coordinator:This is a remarkable example of intergovernmental cooperation, and I’m proud of the role the District played in advocating for this shared effort. All areas of local government can benefit from Lucy Mellen’s expertise. Since hiring Lucy, we have completed all of our landscape plans and have planted over 200 trees with another 100+ planned for 2025. In our January Committee Of the Whole (COW) meeting, Lucy detailed this and so much more - I encourage everyone to review the Sustainability Plan (https://online.fliphtml5.com/gqmek/xpui/#p=1 ). I could not possibly detail all of the improvements she has spearheaded. It is an amazing report. We are not yet a year into the four-year plan and all of the base work has been implemented, most importantly, Education. Staff has embraced the program and public outreach is underway. Some Highlights of the changes and accomplishments
– moving from gas to electric equipment as it is upgraded
- electric vehicles and charging stations the Park District installed around town
- reduction, reuse and recycling efforts in facilities
- removal of invasive species of plants and replanting native species
The District should continue to highlight changes and improvements within the community while promoting their benefits. The District should lead by example and provide opportunities and education on best practices to be more environmentally conscious.
While we are off to a great start, Lucy will be challenged to continue cross agency collaboration to manage this plan to completion. She is coordinating efforts amongst the Village, Park District, District 39 and the Library. The bottom line is we have one of the most talented sustainability coordinators in the country leading our efforts.