Election Guide
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First Ward: Allan Drebin and Arthur Newman
Disagreements and accusations have filled the heated First Ward race between incumbent Ald. Arthur Newman and Kellogg professor Allan Drebin. Despite the controversy over Northwestern’s potential contributions to the city of Evanston, both candidates say they want to improve parking around NU and attract more student-friendly businesses to the downtown area.
Newman, 46, an attorney, has been the First Ward alderman since 1991. Some of his accomplishments include creating more office space downtown, improving Evanston parks and bringing more parking and entertainment to the downtown area. Newman points to his role as chief negotiator in the Century Theatres project as one of his most important achievements..
If Newman is elected to another term, he said his top priorities would be redeveloping the block containing the Sherman Avenue Garage and continuing to look out for the interests of the neighborhoods in the First Ward. He also said he wants to keep taxes low.
Despite Newman’s accusations that Drebin would face a conflict of interest because of his relationship with NU, Drebin’s supporters say his skills in negotiation and compromise would benefit the city. Drebin, 65, also said he plans to use his municipal financial expertise to encourage financially responsible development of the downtown area. As part of his “ABC” plan – support for the arts, business and the community – he wants to help small-business owners build their enterprises and also be an advocate for Evanston arts organizations.
SECOND WARD: Lionel Jean-Baptiste and Betty Sue Ester
Both Second Ward alderman candidates, who are competing for Dennis Drummer’s vacant seat, name balancing the budget among their top priorities. While Betty Sue Ester suggests granting tax breaks to businesses to spur development, Lionel Jean-Baptiste plans to negotiate with NU and other prominent community institutions.
Ester, a 12-year Evanston resident who is a bookkeeper and office manager for Turf Care Landscaping, said she will work to stabilize the tax base so that homeowners’ property taxes will not increase every year.
Jean-Baptiste, 51, was born in Jacmel, Haiti and came to Evanston in 1964. After graduating from Evanston Township High School in 1970, he attended Princeton University, where he majored in political science. He began to practice law in 1991 and now works at his own law firm. He said he will work with neighborhood organizations to decrease crime.
Balancing the budget also is a top priority for Jean-Baptiste, who supports negotiations with NU and other tax-exempt institutions that could possibly contribute money to the city. He also plans to improve housing, pave alleys, repair streets, fix street lighting and maintain parks.
FOURTH WARD: Steven Bernstein, Mimi Peterson and Peggy Tarr
Fourth Ward aldermanic candidates are addressing broad campaign issues, ranging from creating revenue to increasing neighborhood safety and reducing heavy traffic.
Incumbent candidate Steven Bernstein, a 54-year-old attorney, said working with NU was his biggest achievement during his previous term. He also lists the city’s dog park as a major accomplishment. Bernstein joined a three-person committee in June to negotiate with NU on Fair Share issues. For the future, he has suggested forming partnerships with other institutions such as public school districts and local profit and nonprofit organizations.
Other issues of Bernstein’s campaign include bringing businesses to the downtown area, increasing mass transit use to cut down on traffic and rewriting zoning and landlord tenant ordinances.
Fourth Ward candidate Mimi Peterson is a longtime city activist, lobbying in the past to put tree trimming back on the city’s budget and leading aldermen to recommend regular tree maintenance in the city.
As co-chairwoman of the Fair Share Action Committee, which supports Evanston’s effort to make NU contribute financially to the city, Peterson, 37, said in February that she planned to increase town-gown dialogues.
Peterson, a homemaker, helped found the Crown Park Neighbors group. She plans to improve awareness of neighborhood safety, develop a stronger partnership between the Fourth Ward community and the Evanston Police Department and maintain police presence in the ward.
Peggy Tarr, who works as a secretary, painter, writer and lecturer, said she plans to continue her 20 years of advocacy for children, senior citizens and small businesses.
A main issue in her campaign has been increasing affordable housing in Evanston. She wants to improve the budget deficit, work with social service agencies and has said she will look at zoning changes in response to high-rise condominiums on Chicago Avenue.
FIFTH WARD: Joe Kent and Rochelle Whyte-Washington
Both candidates in the Fifth Ward aldermanic race have experience serving on the Evanston City Council and name similar issues as the most important in their campaigns: economic development, crime and education.
Incumbent Ald. Joe Kent faces a familiar opponent, Rochelle Whyte-Washington, the incumbent candidate he defeated in the 1993 election. Whyte-Washington, 66, said if elected she hopes to develop more neighborhood organizing groups and improve the ward’s streets and sidewalks.
Since her term on the council, Whyte-Washington has served on the governing board of the Community Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit community action agency. She also served as the first chairman for a local Head Start program, a federal initiative that provides day care to low-income families.
Kent, 34, has said that crime and land use are the most important issues in the Fifth Ward. He said he will continue to redevelop the Canal Park land and build the Church-Dodge Business District.
Kent, an elementary school teacher, also serves on City Council’s Planning and Development Committee but faced criticism from Whyte-Washington for leaving the council’s Human Services Committee.
SIXTH WARD: Edmund Moran, Omar Khuri and Martin Norkett
All three Sixth Ward Candidates agree that the city’s relationship with NU needs work. The other elements of their campaigns differ, ranging from technology to fiscal responsibility.
Sixth Ward incumbent Edmund Moran, who has served on city council since 1991, ranks parking among his top concerns.
If elected, Moran, 54, said he will work to pave alleys, reduce the permissible height of buildings and widen sidewalks. He said he also will continue to promote other taxes to keep real estate taxes down.
Moran said he favors a closer partnership between NU and Evanston and suggested joint municipal projects – such as NU covering the cost of fixing up and operating Fire Station No. 3, which responds to campus calls – as a way to improve the partnership.
Candidate Omar Khuri, 33, also cited the relationship with NU as a top priority and mentioned a short-route trolley system funded by NU that would transport students downtown, which would increase revenue for shops. He has also suggested the development of a city marina.
Khuri has worked as a businessman and currently practices immigration law.
The main campaign focus for candidate Martin Norkett is fiscal responsibility. He said budget cuts and generating income from new sources are the best strategies to defeat the budget crisis.
Norkett said another goal is helping all parts of Evanston work together as a community in order to establish trust. He said trust must exist before the council and nonprofit institutions can discuss Fair Share and financial contributions.
Norkett, 55, works as chief executive officer at the local development company Glenlake Capital, formerly Scribcor. He previously served one term on the city’s Economic Development Committee and two on the Plan Commission.
SEVENTH WARD: Stephen Engelman, Karl Gromelski, Howard Levin and J
unad Rizki
Incumbent candidate Stephen Engelman, an attorney, has held the position of Seventh Ward alderman since 1993. In the past he helped institute the city’s first budget policy committee. He also voted against the Northeast Evanston Historic District, saying it represented a misuse of the city’s preservation ordinance. He was the only council member to vote against an ordinance that proposed restricting panhandling on Evanston’s streets.
Engelman is promoting “dialogue groups” within his ward to heighten communication among its inhabitants. He said he will continue to work toward a solution on issues such as Fair Share.
Junad Rizki, an architect and engineer, said he plans to cut unnecessary spending and will not accept a salary if elected Seventh Ward alderman. He proposes mandatory monthly meetings between the Evanston Police Department and city council members to decrease crime in the city.
Marketing consultant and candidate Karl Gromelski is a vocal critic of Engelman’s current policies. He said the city needs to be run in a more businesslike fashion.
Gromelski has said there are many city programs that could be eliminated to cut costs. He said he wants to bring more tourists to Evanston and sees zoning and development as a key to revitalizing the Central Street business district.
Howard M. Levin, the third of Engelman’s challengers, said he believes NU should contribute $14.5 million annually to the city of Evanston because university is currently not pulling its financial weight. He blames Evanston’s lack of funds on the university and its nonprofit, tax-exempt status.
The Daily’s City Desk contributed to this report.