After nine years of driving environmental change in Evanston as the City’s alderperson for the 7th Ward, Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) is not running for reelection in 2025.
Revelle was first appointed to the position by Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl in 2016, after Jane Grover, the former alderperson for the 7th Ward, resigned. She then ran unopposed in the 2017 election, and won reelection in 2021 against challenger Mary Rosinski.
Rosinski, a realtor and political activist, is again competing in the 7th Ward Council race, along with attorney Parielle Davis and Public Safety Civil Service Commission Acting Chair Kerry Mundy. Revelle told The Daily that she endorses Mundy for the position.
The Daily spoke with Revelle about the work she’s done on City Council and what her future holds.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: When did you first come to Evanston, and how did you get involved in the city’s politics?
Revelle: I came to Evanston in the ’70s because my husband got a job teaching at Northwestern and I loved Evanston’s very active civic life. I thought it was a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
I got involved with a number of nonprofit organizations — the League of Women Voters, Evanston Community Foundation. And then, sustainability and climate issues became a real passion for me. So I helped found an organization, Citizens’ Greener Evanston, which is now called Climate Action Evanston, and it was sort of from that push that I joined the City Council.
The Daily: What are some of the things you’re proudest of accomplishing in office?
Revelle: Supporting climate policies and making sure it remains a priority in terms of spending. Buildings are the biggest source of our greenhouse gas emissions, and in my early term we passed a benchmarking ordinance, which requires larger buildings to document and report their energy consumption. We’re working on approving a building standards ordinance.
I was really a leader in terms of Evanston getting a composting program, plastic bag ban, supporting our Divvy Bike program. I’ve been active in the “natural habitat community.” We have a lot of local volunteers who work to restore native plants, particularly along the canal. There’s a lot to do, and sometimes it seems like we’re inching forward, but we have to keep working on it from as many angles as we can.
The Daily: What do you wish you could have done more of?
Revelle: Another big priority for me was affordable housing, and I would say that remains to be a huge problem. I’m hopeful that Envision Evanston 2045 will give us the opportunity to change zoning and really encourage building more housing. The more housing we build, the more affordable housing will be available. So I’m hoping to vote on that before I leave the Council.
The Daily: Do you have an endorsement for your successor?
Revelle: I am endorsing Kerry Mundy.
The Daily: What priorities do you have in the next few months before leaving office?
Revelle: Oh boy. Before I leave office, we need to approve the new comprehensive plan and the new zoning code. We need to decide, as a community, what we’re going to do about the Civic Center. Are we going to renovate the current building or build a new one, and how will we pay for it?
We need a new police and fire headquarters because the one we have is too small. We need to upgrade our city service center, where we take care of all of the city vehicles.
The 7th Ward has all the fun stuff. We have Harley Clarke, we have Ryan Field.
The Daily: What is it like to represent the ward NU is in? Especially considering the controversy over the new Ryan Field?
Revelle: There were two issues. One was, are we going to give the special use permit to build the new stadium? I even had reservations about that, but I did vote yes. I don’t think residents appreciate how big it’s going to be. Everybody talks about how it’s going to be smaller. It’s smaller in the sense that it’s going to have fewer seats, but physically, visually, it’s going to be much bigger than the old stadium.
But the real challenge was the idea of having concerts at the stadium. I was trying to support the view of the residents who did not want the concerts. Obviously, I was outvoted on Council. But I think if you ask (Dave) Davis, who’s NU’s community relations guy and the person I interact with the most, he would say I’m an easy person to work with. I think I’ve managed to keep good relations and good conversations with Northwestern, and still try to represent my constituents.
The Daily: What went into your decision to leave City Council?
Revelle: Well, it will be nine years, I think that’s a pretty long time. The whole Ryan Field thing in particular, it’s been extra strenuous. I get a lot of emails from residents, and I think a big part of my job is to respond to constituents, try to answer their questions, deal with their frustrations — it’s hugely time consuming. I’m ready for a break.
The Daily: What are you going to do with that break?
Revelle: I’m not sure yet. I haven’t had time to figure it out. I’m pretty sure I’ll do something with Climate Action Evanston. Right now, there’s still a lot to do.
Email: [email protected]
X: @NaomiTaxay
Related Stories:
— 7th Ward Council race competitive as Revelle retires
— 7th Ward residents discuss Ryan Field rebuild with Ald. Revelle at forum
