1 Revised 06-26-2025 CITY OF EVANSTON REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER: 26-28 For
ProposalMore proposals from Evanston
On September 26, 2023, Evanston City Council proposed Ordinance 56-O-23 to establish a Small Donor Democracy Matching System for Fair Elections by adding new provisions to the city's municipal elections code. The ordinance aims to address concerns about the current campaign finance system, including that it discourages qualified candidates from running, favors wealthy donors and incumbents, reduces voter participation, and creates conflicts of interest. The proposal would implement a matching fund system designed to amplify small-dollar donations and reduce candidates' dependence on large donors and personal wealth.
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City Manager Luke Stowe recommended approval of the 2026 meeting schedule for the Evanston City Council and Rules Committee, which must be published annually to comply with the Open Meetings Act. City Council meetings are scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month (except August and December, which have only one meeting each), while Rules Committee meetings occur on the first Monday of every other month at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall. The memorandum provides the complete list of 22 scheduled City Council meeting dates and 6 Rules Committee dates for 2026, with one meeting moved to Tuesday, May 26, due to the Memorial Day holiday.
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On October 29, 2019, the Evanston City Council passed a resolution instructing the City Clerk to place a referendum on the March 17, 2020 ballot asking voters to approve nonpartisan elections for the positions of mayor, city alderman, and city clerk. Although Evanston has historically conducted most of its elections on a nonpartisan basis, Illinois constitutional requirements mandate that residents formally approve such elections through a binding referendum. The referendum would allow these municipal offices to be elected without party affiliation designations, effective with the 2020 election and thereafter.
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In December 2020, the City of Evanston's Reparations Subcommittee recommended that the City Council discuss a proposed restorative housing program as part of the city's local reparations initiative. The proposal drew on N'COBRA and NAARC definitions of reparations as a process of repairing and restoring communities harmed by institutional injustice, emphasizing that remedies must be defined by those who suffered the harm and managed through independent structures. The city had established the Reparations Fund in November 2019 with $10 million in funding from a 3% Municipal Cannabis Retailers' Occupation Tax, tasking the Reparations Subcommittee with conducting a feasibility study on housing assistance programs and economic development opportunities for Black residents to address historical wealth and opportunity gaps.
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