Evanston City Council could decide at tonight’s meeting whether the mayor, city clerk, aldermen, township supervisor and township assessor will receive their first pay raise in eight years.
Salaries of elected officials are reviewed every four years, and adjustments routinely are voted on prior to elections. Aldermen will receive the new salaries only if they are re-elected.
If the council approves the ordinance, the mayor’s salary will increase from $12,000 to $17,000; aldermen’s will increase from $6,500 to $10,000; the city clerk’s will increase from $36,000 to $45,000; the township supervisor’s will increase from $9,400 to $11,400; and the township assessor’s will increase from $3,339 to $4,000.
At previous committee meetings, aldermen debated the pros and cons of the pay raises, voting 4-2 at their Aug. 7 Rules Committee meeting to allow the full council to vote on the salary increase.
Aldermen in favor of the pay raises argue that their present salaries do not adequately compensate them for the time they devote to attending city meetings and serving their constituents.
Aldermen opposed to raising salaries said serving on the council should be seen as a public service. Opponents also said discrepancies in the percentage of pay raises for each position were questionable.
Among other issues on tonight’s agenda is a vote on the Zoning Board of Appeals’ recommendation to deny Starbucks a special use application for a Main Street site.
Starbucks, which planned to open a new cafe at 519 Main St., has faced fierce resident opposition to its proposal. Residents in September submitted petitions to City Council opposing the opening, citing traffic and noise problems as primary concerns.
But Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) said the success of the Starbucks at 528 Dempster St. proves the residents’ concerns are unfounded. He said other issues, including Starbucks’ cancelation of a long-term pastry contract with Judy’s Bakery, 706 Main St., stirred a lot of negative and anti-corporation sentiment among Evanston residents.
The council also will consider whether to accept a bid from Winkler’s Tree Service to trim trees for the Department of Parks, Forestry and Recreation. Winkler’s filed suit against an Evanston resident April 18, accusing her of making public remarks that defamed its tree-trimming services.
Mimi Peterson, the resident named in the suit, criticized in January Winkler’s tree-trimming work on Evanston’s parkway trees. Peterson’s criticisms have led some to question whether the company is capable of providing quality tree-trimming services.
The council could vote to allow the forestry department to rehire Winkler’s, which submitted to the city the lowest bid for the project. Residents have voiced concerns, but Moran said forestry officials support Winkler’s work.
“Winkler’s Tree Service hasn’t been banned from doing work in Evanston,” Moran said. “If (Peterson’s) allegations had been substantiated by the forestry department, that would have a big impact on me in terms of voting on subsequent proposals.”
