By Megan CrepeauThe Daily Northwestern
Evanston must become more fiscally responsible, re-evaluate its policy on affordable housing and develop a closer relationship with Northwestern for the city to reach its full potential, Mayor Lorraine H. Morton said in her State of the City address Friday.
She delivered the annual address in the Grand Ballroom at the Hotel Orrington to more than 100 of Evanston’s residents and business owners. It was Morton’s 14th time speaking on the city’s status and her desired direction for it.
“I think you all should give me a round of applause for surviving 14 years!” Morton said in her introduction. The audience quickly complied.
Morton started her speech by praising new Police Chief Richard Eddington and listing the positive aspects of modern Evanston, including rising test scores, stable sales taxes and “a lively and attractive” business district.
This was of special interest to the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, which helped coordinate the event. In a statement on its Web site, the organization encouraged its members to attend, saying, “At this critical time, it is important for the voice of the business community to be heard and for employees of local firms to learn about the community.”
The mayor first tackled the thorny issue of affordable housing, saying that the Evanston City Council needs to re-examine the matter.
“Our issue is to open up all of Evanston to affordable housing for all citizens,” she said. “This is reasonable, sensible and doable.”
Morton vetoed the latest incarnation of the inclusionary housing ordinance in January, saying it would unfairly force developers to include affordable housing in their buildings. She would prefer that they contribute to the city’s housing fund so the city government could choose what kinds of housing to make affordable.
Morton also called on the council to support the proposed 2007-08 city budget, saying it would make up for past irresponsible city planning.
“Were it not for the $40 million that the city is required to pour into the fire and police pension fund, we would be in tip-top shape,” she said.
The budget is being marketed as a restructuring of Evanston government, what Morton called a “prioritization” of city services. If passed, the city would have to cut about 30 jobs and eliminate two departments. The City Council must vote on the budget by the end of the month.
Morton closed her speech with a call for better town-gown relations.
“No matter what people say … Northwestern was the goose that laid the golden egg,” she said. “Can we not build on that relationship and realize that the whole is as great as the sum of its parts?”
Morton insisted that NU and Evanston maintain their symbiotic relationship, with Evanston helping provide fire, ambulance and police services and NU contributing $4.8 million directly to the city’s economy.
“The picture is clear: We help each other,” she said. “Our working together – with that, the sky is the limit.”
Reach Megan Crepeau at [email protected].
