Mayor Steve Hagerty hosts Virtual COVID-19 vaccine Q&A dailynorthwestern.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailynorthwestern.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Chioma Nkwocha, who works part-time at The Mather long-term care facility in Evanston, did not hesitate to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as she was eligible.
“I don’t know about you, but I would like to contribute to society going back to some kind of normalcy,” Nkwocha said, emphasizing the importance of protecting herself and her client.
Residents who are essential workers, have pre-existing conditions or are over the age of 65 are eligible to get the vaccine in Illinois’s stage 1B of rollout, though Mayor Steve Hagerty said those over 65 remain the priority. As of Wednesday, the city has fully vaccinated over 3,300 people with both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, according to the city’s new vaccine dashboard website.
Several former city leaders had plans to hold a Zoom meeting Wednesday to “discuss strategy” in combating “anti-incumbency” efforts they alleged rooted in community organizations like the Organization for Positive Action and Leadership ahead of the April 6 general election.
The meeting was organized by former aldermen Jane Grover (7th) and Delores Holmes (5th), along with former Evanston Chief Equity Officer Patricia Efiom and residents Kelly Marcelle and Dick Peach. An email invite to the meeting that was obtained by the Daily was sent Tuesday evening to over 60 people, including Mayor Steve Hagerty, former Evanston Director of Finance William Stafford, and Northwestern Executive Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations Dave Davis.
City Council committed to increasing the reserve balance of the general fund to 16.66 percent by December 31, 2025 at Monday’s virtual meeting.
The resolution included plans to add at least $1 million annually to the reserve fund between 2022 and 2025. Additional contributions to the fund balance could be made from property sales earnings and other alternative revenue sources.
Evanston’s 2021 budget includes using $500,000 from the fund reserves to help offset the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to alleviate the effects of a tax increase on residents. After withdrawing the $500,000, the fund balance is estimated to fall to $13.1 million, which makes up 11.9 percent of expenses in the general fund.