An ‘unpalatable’ decision, but council overrides mayor’s veto to adopt grocery tax
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com With little discussion Monday, Evanston City Council members voted to override Mayor Daniel Biss’s earlier veto of a local grocery tax, narrowly meeting the state’s Oct. 1 deadline for communities to make such a move to replace a recently repealed 1% state grocery tax. Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) made the…
Connor Brennan, shift supervisor at Starbucks on Main Street.
Main Street Starbucks brews last cup
By Bob Seidenberg Of all the local Starbucks stores in the area, the Starbucks located just east of Chicago Avenue at 519 Main St., was among the most union-active. Shift supervisor and barista Connor Brennan said Friday he thinks that may have been its undoing and reason for landing on a company list of impending…
With mayoral veto, local grocery tax hinges on council override
By Bob Seidenberg A local grocery tax, replacing the state’s soon-to-be expired one, isn’t in the bag — yet. Evanston City Council members carried out their part Monday, voting 5-3 to approve a 1% tax on groceries to replace the state tax — one of the most reliable of the city’s revenue sources, generating close…
Community activist Meleika Gardner (pictured) with Councilmember Clare Kelly (1st Ward) has been working on a Circuit Breaker program since last year. “It’s powerful and it’s just a lifeline for working families and seniors who are being priced out of our beautiful Evanston,” she told members of the city’s Finance & Budget Committee at their Sept. 9 meeting.
Circuit Breaker bid heads to council with aim of relief from property tax spikes
By Bob Seidenberg A proposal that seeks to address spikes in property taxes that longtime homeowners may receive is moving to the full City Council for review. The “Circuit Breaker Program” could be a “lifeline for working families and seniors who are being priced out of our beautiful Evanston, out of their homes that they’ve…
Facing a tough budget ahead, Finance & Budget committee members grappled Sept. 9 whether to establish an escrow fund assuring contributions go toward pensions.
Officials grapple with whether library should get a cut of tax fund
By Bob Seidenberg City officials are still researching the questions, but found some basis to support Evanston Public Library officials’ claim that the library may be due some of the Personal Property Tax revenue generated since the late 1970s. The issue came up in a discussion during the city’s Finance & Budget Committee meeting Tuesday…
Sarah Flax, Evanston’s Community Development Director, stands with Brandon Kim (far right) as Kim explains to members of the city’s Planning & Development Committee Sept. 8 his plans for a vacation rental at 1717 Ridge Ave.
Evanston City Council members have called a temporary halt to what one member dubbed “As the Vacation Rental Turns” (referring humorously to the old TV soap opera “As the World Turns”), weighing requests from individual property owners to turn their buildings into longterm vacation license rentals. Council members on Monday approved a 90-day moratorium accepting new…
Local grocery tax moves to city’s checkout counter
Council sets final vote for Sept. 15, preparing to override presumed mayoral veto By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members on Monday moved to back a local grocery tax to replace the state grocery tax, which expires Jan. 1, leaving time for them to override Mayor Daniel Biss’ intended veto. Rather than wait until their…
Evanston Public Library’s main branch at 1703 Orrington Ave.
City staff team joins Library officials in a walk-through of main library building to view concerns
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library officials are in talks with the city about an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) agreement, outlining the two entities financial responsibilities in the maintenance of library facilities — an issue library officials have been trying to resolve for over a year. Executive Library Director Yolande Wilburn made the surprising disclosure during…
A northwest Evanston homeowner has won her case to remove a leaning elm from her property.
Homeowner gets OK to remove leaning elm
By Bob Seidenberg A northwest Evanston homeowner will be allowed to remove an elm tree on her property that was leaning over a neighbor’s garage, in the first successful challenge to the city’s private tree ordinance enacted in 2023. In a unanimous voice vote, members of the city’s Human Services Committee on Tuesday granted Kristina…
Northwestern’s 1801 Maple Ave. building that the city has been eyeing for a police and fire headquarters.
Capital improvement challenges pile up for 2026
By Bob Seidenberg From sidewalks to a new or renovated police and fire headquarters, the city has a daunting list of capital improvement challenges stacking up for 2026. At a recent Finance & Budget Committee meeting, staff members presented the possibility of increasing the General Obligation debt the city takes on annually from $10 million…
