Leadership votes again prompt squabble among Wilmette Parks commissioners

As the Wilmette Park Board reelected its president and voted on a new vice president in split votes, the board’s leadership is promising better efforts to improve internal relations.

Commissioner Patrick Lahey was elected to his second term as Park Board president, while Commissioner Julia Goebel was elected the board’s vice president, in identical 5-2 votes at the board’s annual meeting on Monday, May 11.

Commissioners Patrick Duffy and Mike Murdock were the dissenting votes for both offices. The duo also split with the Park Board in the leadership decisions a year ago, when Duffy’s bid to become board president failed. Murdock and Duffy then voted against Lahey as president, and Duffy also voted against Vice President Allison Frazier.

Concerns

While Lahey was unopposed in his bid for a second one-year term as president, both Duffy and Murdock said they had concerns about his leadership over the past year.

Duffy, a second-term commissioner, said he expressed “frustration” to Lahey about how he handled the role of president, saying that “some on this board” who “feel that the title is more important than the role.” He asked for more communication and equal treatment moving forward.

Murdock, a previous Park Board president who backed Duffy for the role in 2025, also shared concerns about internal communication.

Lahey acknowledged that he could have communicated better in terms over the past year, specifically mentioning one instance where he was overseas and didn’t change how he communicated with his fellow commissioners while there.

“I certainly feel like I’ve probably let people down on this board by not making that phone call or sending that text saying, ‘Thanks,’ or ‘Appreciate their feedback,’” he said.

Lahey added that, after speaking with Executive Director Chris Lindgren and the other commissioners, the board will be undergoing training this year.

“I think that’s both good governance and a good way for all of us to figure out how to work together in the best possible way for the community,” he said. “We have collectively accomplished much this year, and I emphasize ‘we.’ I always believe it’s us, no matter what the vote is, and I look forward to doing that again.

“I think this has been a year of learning for me and I’m excited to take what everyone says and be a better president next year.”

Goebel returns as vice president

In another split vote, and a contested race, the Park Board elected a familiar face to the role of vice president, with Goebel returning to the position that she held in 2020 and 2021.

Commissioner Allison Frazier, who spent the past year as vice president, declined to seek a second term in the role, instead nominating Goebel for the position.

“I think something that many of us forget sometimes is that we are all human beings, and at this stage in my life, and with all the wonderful things that we have ahead of this board, I have decided to step back in the role of vice president,” she said. “I do look forward to continuing my tenure on the board and have full faith and confidence in Julia Goebe.

Frazier added that she “very much enjoyed the past year as my role in the vice president position.”

Goebel thanked Frazier for the nomination.

“It would be an honor to serve again as vice president of this board,” she said. “I do feel that there are several important things ahead of us, both as a community and as a board, and these require diplomacy, collaboration, working closely with others — being various governmental roles or community roles — as well as collaborating with who may not agree with us. And so, I think that this is a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to the rest of the board’s support.”

Duffy, who also voted against Goebel’s nomination, instead nominated Murdock, reiterating his concerns about the holder of the position focusing on the role and not the title.

Murdock, who had previously been elected board president over Goebel in 2021, said he would not support Goebel, who he said bouts of disengagement.

Goebel responded by explaining that for the past two years she’s helped care for a sick family member out of state but has always attended Park Board regular meetings, including three times when she phoned in while on out-of-town work trips.

“I am employed and I am proud of my role in the community, and I don’t think that that should be a distraction,” she said.

Lahey said he believes the board trainingwill be happening will be helpful to all board members in understanding each other.

“I understand that there’s some perceived division up here, but what we all agree on is that we’re working towards a rather large and impactful couple years for this district,” he said, “and we’re all committed to doing so in a way that does best for the community, because that’s why we’re all doing this job.”

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