Current Events
Events are always happening throughout the 9th Ward and Evanston. This section is devoted to issues facing 9th Ward residents:
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Ranked Choice Voting Webinar: With Evanston City Council looking to put Ranked Choice Voting on the November ballot for a referendum, CABG is hosting a webinar to walk residents through how it works and what it means for voting in Evanston. The event will be virtual Tuesday, August 16th from 7-8:30pm. Click here to register.
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City Manager Search: Evanston City Council is looking to give Interim City Manager Luke Stowe the full time position. More details when they become available.
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Ridgeville Park District Concert and Farmer's Market Series: Ridgeville Park District hosts multiple concerts and farmers markets on Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30pm at 908 Seward St. The following are dates and artists performing:
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August 17th: Roger That
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August 24th: Los Perros Cubanos
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August 31st: The Muddsharks
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Grace Lutheran Church Hosts Back to School Bash: Grace Lutheran Church (1430 South Blvd) is hosting a family friendly Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 20th from 1-4pm to kick off the new school year with friends and families! There will be games, food, and live music. Grace Lutheran will also be giving free backpacks to students! For more information, please call or email 847-475-2211/churchoffice@graceevanston.com.
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Accountability and Transparency
A public servant must be committed to providing accountability and transparency in their actions and the actions of local government. Healthy relationships are built on communication and trust. To best serve 9th Ward residents as their representative, I will conduct the following practices:
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I will provide breakdowns of voting decisions on major items as well as items by request; if a breakdown is not given on a decision you'd like to see, use the "Contact" form to request one.
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Weekly "Office Hours" will be held two times per week for an hour each. These drop in sessions are available to residents as a collaborative session. I welcome residents to bring issues they are facing or solutions to problems they see in the community. Elected officials do not have an answer for every problem, and it is our shared expertise that will help our community grow.
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Residents may make an individual appointment to meet with me by using the "Contact" form. If you are a group, political organization, nonprofit, etc., you may use the "Request Appearance" form under the "More" section of the navigation bar to request a meeting/appearance.
Affordable Living
Evanston has become one of the least affordable cities in Illinois. Housing prices have increased, the median property tax rate in the 9th Ward is $3,600 per year ($1,600 higher than the rest of the state), and the median rent per month in the 9th Ward is $1,200 ($200 higher than the rest of the state). I am committed to working with the new City Manager, the entirety of City Council, and Evanston organizations, residents, and stakeholders who are experts in creating and sustaining affordability. By constructing affordable housing plans that incorporate aspects of healthy lifestyles and accessibility while ensuring living units are built with families in mind, we can create an Evanston that is affordable for generations to come. I hope to be a part of and expand on the work started by Councilmember Fleming and Northwestern University, that provides monthly stipends to low-income residents, giving new avenues of hope and humanity.
Fiscal Responsibility
Balancing the city budget has been no easy task. Evanston has 60% of its land as taxable while having one of the highest rates of expenditures per resident. In a community that generates large amounts of revenue from its residents, increasing expenditures are felt by increasing property tax levies. My promise is to provide sound financial decision-making that is backed with data and limits impacts on residents while also devoting time to explain the budget process and include resident input:
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Program additions and cuts will be measured using equity toolkits to analyze their impact on residents before a decision is made.
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Budget season will include breakdown meetings and collaborative sessions that residents can attend to learn about the budget and give their opinion on decisions.
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I will examine new sources of revenue that minimize impacts on residents with the new City Manager.
Public Safety
it is clear that improving public safety is an issue facing Evanston and communities across the nation. However, increasing the police budget and arresting more people will not address the systemic issue in which so much violence originates from. Councilmember Fleming has worked tirelessly with the Alternative Emergency Response Committee to advance efforts to participate in an alternative emergency response with Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare. I promise to continue that work. The future of public safety requires an investment in our disconnected youth. I will continue my advocacy for the adoption of my Raising a Child Together initiative I pushed for during my Mayoral campaign. This initiative would increase affordable early childcare and the amount of programs available for adolescents and young adults transitioning into the larger world around them.
Climate Action and Resilience
Climate change is a threat to our world and our community. Action is needed to transform our existing city infrastructure to support renewable energy and resources. By incorporating climate action into the budget process, we can ensure equipment and property is on course to be carbon neutral.
Our community will also face climate related effects and disasters (heat waves, freezing temperatures, flooding, etc.). I am committed to supporting 9th Ward residents by investing in resilience programs that prepare homes and give resources to residents in need.
