Community members to call for Kevin Brown’s reinstatement

Emma Edmund, Assistant City Editor

Evanston community members plan to push for Kevin Brown’s reinstatement as a city employee at Monday’s City Council meeting.

The Committee to Reinstate Kevin Brown, which includes former mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, announced they would be joining other community members calling for Brown’s reinstatement on Monday, according to a news release. Brown was fired from his role as a community services manager and the supervisor of the city’s Youth and Young Adult Division in November.

The city said he was fired because he used a city credit card to pay for parking tickets for his staff’s City of Evanston vehicles parked in the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center parking lot. Brown asserted these transactions were approved by his boss Lawrence Hemingway, the city’s parks, recreation and community service director.

“The Committee and Evanston Community is outraged over Mr. Brown’s termination because there is no claim that any of the fines or charges was the personal responsibility of Mr. Brown,” the news release stated. “The community is baffled by this decision for someone with such an unblemished record of public achievement.”

At the Nov. 18 City Council meeting, Tisdahl voiced her support for Brown during public comment.

During her administration, the Youth and Young Adult Division was created, which seeks to support young people through things like civic engagement and workforce development.

“Kevin has done a remarkable job,” Tisdahl said. “One of the best things that I did as mayor, I believe, was to encourage Kevin and to support Kevin, and I’m here to ask you, do the same.”

Monday’s City Council meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m. in the Civic Center.

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