Evanston City Council offered its first major alternative to City Manager Roger Crum’s budget proposal at Saturday morning’s budget meeting.
The plan, put forth by Ald. Gene Feldman (9th), could avert proposed cuts to the police and fire departments and save the South Branch Library, which is slated to be closed in Crum’s budget.
“In my opinion, these are the most improbable and serious cuts we have,” Feldman said Sunday.
The city could avoid the cuts by increasing the working budget’s estimate for revenues from parking fines, Feldman said. The city increased daily parking meter hours by four hours last year, prompting increased revenue from fines — but Feldman said he felt next year’s estimate was conservative.
“All I did was suggest that the income received from those is greater than what the city had estimated,” Feldman said. “That’s not an increase in anything. It’s an increase in expectations.”
City officials agreed that Feldman’s projections were reasonable, he said.
Under his proposal, the city would also double rooming house license fees — which Feldman said would affect Northwestern dorms. He also would increase the parking tax by 25 percent, or about $2 a month. Altogether, the new revenue sources would bring in about $888,000 in the next year, Feldman said.
Crum’s budget proposal, which was released to the public earlier this month, would eliminate the three middle school police liaison officers in District 65. It also would reduce overtime pay in the fire department, with crews running one firefighter short if he or she can’t show up for work.
Feldman said his plan would avoid both cuts, which were criticized by a number of alderman at the last budget meeting Jan. 11. City Council must pass a budget that overcomes a $3.5 million deficit by Feb. 28.
Feldman’s plan also would eliminate a proposed 75 cent charge for senior citizens who ride a bus to the Levy Senior Center, 301 Dodge Ave. In addition, it would prevent the cutting the center’s program manager and street maintenance worker positions.
Extra revenue generated by Feldman plan would be used to reduce the property tax levy, he said. Crum proposed an 8.6 percent increase in the city’s portion of property taxes, but Feldman’s plan would reduce that to between 6.5 and 7 percent, he said.
“It’s relatively benign in its effect on the average taxpayer,” Feldman said. “They pay enough.”
Ald. Art Newman (1st) and Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) also proposed budget changes that would relieve the burden on residents from Evanston water bills, which will increase by 10 percent this year after several years of similar hikes to cover improvements to the sewer system.
Newman proposed that the city cut this year’s water bill increase in half by extending the sewer project’s debt. Rainey said the city should consider reducing the rate during the summer months, when residents use the most water.
