Evanston residents asked Northwestern to help keep the city’s branch libraries afloat at a budget workshop Wednesday night.
At the city’s second community budget workshop, residents voiced their opinions against cutting the two branch libraries, a suggestion brought up last year to reduce a deficit of more than $9 million. This year, Evanston faces a $3.5 million deficit.
City staff organized two community budget workshops this fall to gather input from residents about where to make cuts.
Lori Keenan, vice president of the independent group Evanston Public Library Friends, proposed a voluntary ticket tax to NU to contribute to the costs of the branch libraries.
“We could say to Northwestern, in good faith, to save our libraries,” Keenan said. “It would be difficult for them to say, ‘No, close your libraries.'”
Through a blog post, EPL Friends encouraged members to attend the budget workshop.
Civic leaders and aldermen should do more to listen to residents, EPL Friends member Rosalie Ziomek said.
“They’ve been acting like we’re their enemy, and all we did was say we wanted to keep the branch library,” Ziomek said. “They said raise the money. We raised the money, and they just keep moving the target.”
Residents were asked to create a list of suggested budget cuts and then to indicate what cuts they would prefer.
“At the first meeting we had a couple weeks ago, we haven’t heard a lot about what people think we can eliminate in order to continue to fund those things they like so much,” Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said. “My hope is that we can get more input from the group so we can get a better sense of what cuts can be made.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, some voiced concerns over not being able to make educated decisions when voting without knowing how much the proposed items cost. Bobkiewicz explained the vote would be made available online for residents who did not attend the meeting.
“It helps inform the discussion, ” Bobkiewicz said. “I wish I had a perfect process, but I don’t.”
The ideas that received the most votes included eliminating Evanston Township, a separate entity from the city of Evanston; reducing the use of outside consultants; asking private developers to conduct their own feasibility studies and asking NU to contribute to library funds.
NU should work together with city officials on these issues, Evanston resident and writer Judy Krizmanic, Medill ’88, said.
“Being in this community, I think that there is a responsibility to be able to offer some ideas to offer some input, ” Krizmanic said. “But I also think there’s a responsibility that the city has to approach Northwestern in that capacity.”
