This is the concluding piece in a series analyzing Evanston’s budget.
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For the past two years, the Evanston City Council has been searching for ways to make up a $140 million shortfall in the police and fire pension funds without cutting services.
The aldermen have raised the gasoline tax, parking fees and the cost for obtaining a license to sell tobacco. Last year, they raised the city’s portion of the property tax by more than 7 percent, and many officials said they expect further increases in coming years. They even transferred $2 million from the city’s General Fund, a financially precarious move in the eyes of many.
Even with these new sources of revenue, the council has begun to discuss eliminating city services and programs, starting with the ones they deem the least essential.
One program that might be on the chopping block this budget season is the city’s scholarships to Leadership Evanston.
Managed and funded by the nonprofit Evanston Community Foundation, the professional development program aims to give the city’s leaders a better understanding of the community, director Marybeth Schroeder said. Participants pay $1,000 in tuition and attend 10 monthly sessions, each of which has a different theme such as education or urban planning.
The city government usually pays for two or three of its staffers to attend the program each year. Recent participants include Cam Herth, a human relations specialist for the city, and Mary Johns, director of the Evanston Public Library.
Schroeder, who is also a senior program officer for the foundation, said she did not understand why the aldermen were debating the issue since funding for the scholarships does not come from a line-item on the budget. Rather, the City Manager decides whether to send individuals to the program using money allocated for professional development.
Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) suggested cutting the scholarships at the council’s first budget workshop in October.
“We could make some very significant cuts,” said Rainey, who did not return phone calls Sunday.
According to Schroeder, Rainey has expressed the most vocal opposition of her program.
“Alderman Rainey has long had issues with the tuition,” she said. “It’s a very small tuition for the amount of training people receive.”
Several aldermen said they would consider cutting the scholarships, but did not commit to a definite plan.
“If you’re brand-new in Evanston and a department chair, it’s a great way to get to know the community,” said Ald. Cheryl Wollin (1st). “If you’ve been here 15 years, it’s probably not that important. I don’t think it’s essential that people go.”
Similarly, Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) said the program was a valuable asset but questioned some past scholarship allocations.
“Mary Johns does not need leadership training,” said Tisdahl, who is petitioning to appear on the ballot in April’s mayoral race. “But I wouldn’t say we definitely need to cut the program entirely.”
At the October budget workshop, several aldermen debated whether the participation of city staff in Leadership Evanston was more important to the program or to the city government.
For Schroeder, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
“Part of the goal of the program is to have a diverse group of people from the entire community,” she said. “But it’s not going to put us out of business or anything.”
Brian Rosenthal contributed reporting.
