Note: This is the ninth in a 10-part series of stories introducing candidates who are on the ballot for the first time in Homewood and Flossmoor village board races. There is more competition for trustee seats than usual in Homewood. In 2023, five candidates ran for four seats. This year, Homewood’s new political party, the Greener Homewood Party, has swelled the ranks to eight candidates vying for four seats. More candidate profiles will be included in our March edition.
Liz Varmecky’s first sustained engagement with Homewood government started in 2021, when she formed South Suburbs for Greenspace, a grassroots organization that took as its first task the opposition to a proposed industrial development at Calumet Country Club.
Her advocacy on environmental issues laid the groundwork for the formation of the new party.
She hopes the party organization will help the community more easily recognize what the candidates stand for.
“I think it helps solidify our message,” she said, and she explained that the party’s candidates and platform are focused on a range of issues. “We’re for supporting local businesses, for open inclusive government, for greener policies, (for) addressing parking and traffic.”
The village board has long had a strong focus on economic development.
Varmecky noted that while economic development is important, the new party hopes to shift the emphasis in the village’s approach.
“It’s important that we support responsible development and we need to keep in mind what the people in the village want,” she said. “That’s part of our open inclusive plan. We want to do town halls. We want to hear from people. I think that’s one of the things that we don’t see right now. We kind of see, ‘Oh, we know best'” from elected officials.
“I’m not that old, but I’ve been around long enough to know I don’t know everything,” she said. “So it’s good to talk to other people.”
