The race to replace Evanston Mayor Lorraine Morton got heated Wednesday night as the four mayoral candidates gathered for a televised forum.
Barnaby Dinges, Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th), Jeanne Lindwall and Stuart Opdycke voiced their opinions on a range of topics, including the city’s tight budget, crime and their qualifications to be mayor.
Held at the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., the forum was prepared and run by Ald. Ann Rainey (8th), who by the end of the night had many attendees saying they felt offended by and frustrated with her moderating techniques.
Rainey gave candidates the opportunity to discuss their qualifications for mayor and the changes they would bring to the position.
“My focus and what I bring to the table is professional planning experience,” Lindwall said. “No one does the ceremonial functions better than Mayor Morton, but at this juncture moving forward I think the city needs as many professional, experienced people as possible.”
Dinges emphasized his commitment to economic development and green technology.
“I’ll be a green mayor,” he said. “That’s the difference.”
“As opposed to the black mayor?” Rainey said, presumably in reference to Morton, who is black.
Audience members reacted with shock and dismay, shaking their heads and whispering about Rainey’s comment.
“Are there even words for how inappropriate that comment was?” forum attendee Stan Carpel said. “She’s a bully and bullies are bigots in front of everyone.”
Resident Judith Treadway was also upset by the remark.
“It was very offensive and insulting,” she said. “It shows a real lack of sensitivity toward her constituency and others in the community.”
Rainey later declined to comment on her statement.
The candidates also discussed the role of mayor.
“The number one role is to champion Evanston externally,” Dinges said.
Tisdahl agreed, calling the mayor “the face of Evanston.” She praised Morton for her open-door policy.
“I think that accessibility to the entire community is extremely important,” she said. “You have to be available and accessible.”
The forum then turned to the subject of city crime and public safety, something that Lindwall says requires a strong partnership between residents and police officers.
“Evanston is a safe community, but I think it’s really important that we all work together to solve the problems where they exist.”
Tisdahl said that the police department has done a good job, but that she is upset on a daily basis by increasing crime reports.
“We aren’t able to afford more police,” she said. “Residents must be eyes and ears – that expands the department.”
Rainey turned the discussion to Evanston’s economic problems and possible budget cuts. She asked the candidates what they considered to be “non-essential” services.
“What programs are non-essential is going to emerge from a very painful conversation with the finance department and other department heads,” Opdycke said. “We’re going to have to make structural changes in the budget to satisfy needs.”
Dinges criticized the city for spending nearly $18 million on finance administration, human resource and legal costs. He also questioned the amount spent on consultants.
“When Barack Obama talks about remaking America, that includes Evanston,” Dinges said. “We need to find a way to grow ourselves out of this situation.”
