Evanston plans to spend more than $397.2 million this year on city projects, funds and personnel, according to the adopted fiscal year 2023 city budget approved by City Council on Dec. 12.

The new budget is a $36 million increase from last year and a more than $101 million increase from the 2021 budget. This year’s budget includes more than $269.8 million in total revenues.

During City Council’s December meeting, Ald. Devon Reid (8th) acknowledged the budget’s increased expenditures. 

“There’s a bit of sticker shock for folks that our budget is going from an average of about 290 to 300 million (dollars) for the past few years to almost $400 million,” Reid said. “Our budget isn’t ballooning as much as it seems it’s ballooning.”

Budget Manager Clayton Black said this increase is partially tied to an influx in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

“The city was fortunate. We received $43 million from (ARPA),” Black told The Daily. “Most of the funding is being used for new social services and programs.”

Black said $22.75 million in ARPA funding is budgeted to be spent in the next fiscal year. Still, he noted City Council may not spend the full amount, but budgeting it grants flexibility. 

Additional reasons for Evanston’s increased expenses, according to Black, include high returns on taxes including the real estate tax, hotel tax and sales tax. He also cited inflation as a contributing factor for increases. 

Black said the 2023 budget will fund 35 new city positions, including positions related to sustainability and Evanston’s lead service line replacement project. Additionally, Black said the budget created seven new firefighter paramedic positions, enabling the city to expand to a third ambulance and cut down emergency medical services’ response times.

“This budget takes the steps to bring staffing back up to where it was before the pandemic,” Black said. He added that some of the budget’s new positions follow recommendations made by consulting firm Baker Tilly, an agency hired by the city, in an August Evanston staffing report.

When the proposed 2023 budget was first published in October, expenses were higher at more than $402.5 million. Since then, city officials have made key revisions that funneled additional funding to specific city areas.

In November, City Council made an amendment to put an additional $4.5 million toward public safety pension funds. This amount puts Evanston on track to 100% funding by 2040, which is 10% more than required by Illinois law.

Councilmembers also amended the budget ordinance to account for a 1 cent increase to the local Motor Fuel Tax, bringing in an estimated $165,000 in revenue per year, pending an amendment of municipal code.

Some of City Council’s key changes to the 2023 budget occurred at the Dec. 12 meeting — just 19 days before the budgetary deadline on Dec. 31. 

Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) introduced three amendments to the council, including allocating $70,000 out of the General Reserve Fund to Shorefront Legacy Center, which collects, preserves and educates the public about Black history on Chicago’s North Shore and in Evanston. 

During the meeting’s public comment, local historian Dino Robinson, the center’s former executive director and co-founder, spoke about Shorefront’s essential work and local, regional and nationwide impact as a community-based archive. 

“Our vision is making local history common knowledge,” Robinson said.

Burns also successfully advocated to allocate $68,042 to WORXBEE, an executive assistant solutions company that will assist councilmembers.

The 5th Ward representative’s third amendment was to increase the amount of revenues generated by the Real Estate Transfer Tax deposited into the Reparations Fund from $1 million to $3 million. 

The fund currently supports the city’s Restorative Housing Program, which has so far distributed $25,000 to each of the 16 recipients.

Burns’ amendment passed unanimously, meaning tax revenues previously allocated in the General Fund will be reallocated to the Reparations Fund.

When asked for comment on the city’s budgetary decisions regarding reparations, Mayor Daniel Biss told The Daily the council found a responsible way to move forward. 

“I think the Real Estate Transfer Tax is an appropriate revenue source for reparations, both from a legal standpoint and a kind of principle standpoint,” Biss said. 

Reid also placed a proposal on the council agenda to funnel more money into the fund by transferring money directly from the General Fund to the Reparations Fund.

However, during public comment, some residents — including members of the community group Evanston Rejects Racist Reparations — expressed concern about using General Fund money, as everyone who pays taxes in Evanston contributes to the fund. As residents pointed out, this would include Black residents to whom reparations should be paid. 

Reid said Burns’ amendment achieved his goal of increasing funding, and his amendment wasn’t brought to vote. 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @JorjaSiemons

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— City Council discusses proposed 2023 budget, pension debt