The Democratic Party of Evanston has endorsed mayoral candidate Daniel Biss, city clerk candidate Stephanie Mendoza and 1st Ward aldermanic candidate Clare Kelly for the 2021 municipal elections. The organization also endorsed Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th), who is running unopposed for reelection.
Throughout January, the DPOE shared candidate endorsement videos on their social media pages. Now, the organization is focusing its efforts on getting out the vote, board president Rachel Ruttenberg said.
But the endorsement process came with controversy, as residents questioned the party’s membership requirements concerns Ruttenberg said bubble up annually.
To participate in the DPOE’s endorsement session, individuals must pay a one-year $40 membership fee, a two-year $75 membership fee, or complete volunteer hours for the organization. Some say the requirements perpetuate classism and ableism by shutting out community members unable to afford the fees or volunteer.
Evanston Mayoral Candidates Debate Ahead Of Primary Election - Evanston, IL - Hear from the three candidates competing to be Evanston's next mayor: Daniel Biss, Lori Keenan and Sebastian Nalls.
The city of Evanston will name a part of Church St. after Evanston historian Dino Robinson for his work preserving the North Shore’s Black history.
The section of Church St. between Hartrey Ave. and Grey Ave. will be designated as “Morris ‘Dino’ Robinson, Jr. Way,” after Robinson.
Robinson, a lifelong Evanston resident, established the Shorefront Legacy Center in 1995, the North Shore’s only community archive for Black history. The center has since accumulated 350 linear feet of records documenting Black history in the area, Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th) said.
Robinson’s work providing historical documentation of the city’s discriminatory policies and practices has helped further Evanston’s reparations program, aldermen said at Monday’s City Council meeting. Robinson also helped create the Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston, a team of Black residents who will expand reparations work to include education, health and wellness and cultural suppo
Evanston Now
The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
A packet with information on tonight’s agenda items is available online.
Meeting called to order at 5:35 p.m.
Alderman Judy Fiske, 1st Ward, not present at the start of the meeting, but arrived later.
Mayor Steve Hagerty introduces Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Notes that County distributed $632K in federal COVID-19 funds to the city to help with pandemic-related costs and is working on additional aid. He also notes Housing Authority of Cook County mixed-income housing project at Emerson and Sherman.
Preckwinkle says county balanced its budget without raising property taxes and also provided funding for equity programs.
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.