2017 Election: Steve Hagerty, Evanston Mayor

Name: Steve Hagerty

Age: 48

Town of residence: Evanston

Position sought: Mayor

Family: Lisa Altenbernd, Wife (Chair of Responsive Grants, Evanston Community Foundation, Caroline, Daughter, 13, Garrett, Son, 9

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No. My parents were formerly public school teachers in Mansfield, MA, but are now retired.

Education: ʼ91 B.S. Syracuse University, ʼ93 M.P.A., Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Occupation: Public Sector Management Consultant, Price Waterhouse Coopers Office of Government Services – 8 years, Public Sector Management Consultant, Hagerty Consulting, Inc – 16 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Position: None

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Fiscal stability is our most pressing issue. Our state is broke. Our state income taxes will increase. The Governor is threatening to reduce the amount of state aid sent to local governments and schools. And we have a $200+ million police and fire pension liability. A strong tax base is essential to providing good city services and keeping Evanston affordable. We need to build on our diverse tax base, in a smart and sensible manner that does not lose the character of our community, so that we can avoid raising taxes while still making investments in our community. Two-thirds of property tax revenues go directly to District 202 and 65. Many come to Evanston because of good schools. What is good for the economy is good for schools and vice versa.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I think our differences mostly lie in experience. Mark is a graphic designer who has served 8 years as an Alderman. I studied public administration in Graduate School, worked as a management consultant in PwC’s Office of Government Services for 8 years, and started and grew a management consulting firm (Hagerty Consulting) that helps governments around the United States prepare for and recover from disasters, such as 9/11 and Katrina. Outside of work, I have committed myself to the work of many organizations in Evanston including the local Chamber of Commerce, YOU, YWCA, ECF, and First Bank & Trust. I’m particularly interested in youth development, closing the opportunity/education/income gap, eliminating racism, empowering women, and citizen engagement.

I will bring to Evanston’s City government a fresh perspective, a management consulting approach, and a leadership-style steeped in municipal government operations through 24 years of operational, hands-on experience as a public-sector consultant around the country. Given that I am endorsed by the current Mayor, all former living Mayors, and three City Council Members, I believe that I will be able to quickly build an effective team among the Council members.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

The other three issues, besides smart and sensible economic development, that I’ve focused my campaign on are:

1) Youth Development and Gun Violence

I think we all need to “own” this problem. I don’t think it’s fair of us to say that this is a problem only for those in neighborhoods where this occurs. We are all in this together, and the death or injury of a youth should sadden and remind us all that “If not but for the grace of God go I.” Specifically, I think there are at least four areas where we should be intentionally focused:

a) I think we need to sustain our holistic – cradle to career (C2C) – approach to supporting our children. We need to reduce the number of kids that find themselves on a school to criminal justice system track. This means we need to focus intently on the human lifecycle starting with pre-natal care through post-secondary success (college, job training, etc.). It means it’s more important than ever that the City, Schools, Non-Profits, and businesses work together to build a support system that ultimately reduces the number of young adults that find themselves without any job prospects. To do so, I will support an environment where this coordination and respect exists. I will attend C2C meetings and D65 and D202 intergovernmental meetings, and nurture relationships with leaders of key organizations throughout Evanston.

b) We need to make it clear that guns and violence are not welcome in Evanston. Period. I think we should continue to execute smart policing to get guns off the street, of which our police department has done an admirable job. I will work closely with the State’s Attorney’s office to make sure people with illegal guns are prosecuted.

c) We need to continue to invest in community outreach efforts to pre-empt violence, save lives, and change lives. When feasible, we should consider restorative justice and offer youth a choice between the criminal justice system and alternative paths to help them get on the right track before it’s too late.

d) We need to continue to make sure our youth have jobs and help them learn at a young age the pride that comes from learning a new skill or trade and earning money. We should never forget the powerful impact summer jobs had on so many of us and how a job can change a life. We should continue to work with large employers like Northwestern and the hospitals to develop skilled trade jobs apprenticeships. We should look for opportunities to further invest in workforce development so that those that are unemployed or underemployed have the skills to obtain and retain a job. I will actively promote and encourage that large, new developments in Evanston use qualified Evanston businesses and residents.

2) Affordability

I’ve put an emphasis on building and maintaining a diverse and strong tax base so that our property taxes don’t continue to increase (A difficult challenge in a day when many of our past commitments are coming due and the State of Illinois is in dire financial straits). This approach, if successful, would benefit all of us. We need to make sure we are putting our assets and resources to best use to be as self-sufficient as we can. I plan on exploring how to do so in several ways—including sensible development, beautifying our commercial areas via landscape, public art, and building design so that areas are attractive for residents to congregate and shop.

While I don’t like the idea of selling public assets, I like less the idea of raising property taxes more. Therefore, I think when we sell a public asset (such as the library parking lot or Harley Clarke Mansion), we should earmark that money into the Affordable Housing Fund. I think we also need to have a strategy for how we are using our Affordable Housing Fund most effectively. In my opinion, it should be used to help senior citizens on a fixed income, young families, and public servants so they can afford to live in the town they serve.

Additionally, I plan to firmly and publicly stress that a good neighbor, like Northwestern, does not remove tax paying properties from the tax rolls, further burdening our residents. I wrote briefly about this on Facebook regarding Northwestern’s recent purchase of 1840 Oak.

Affordability is more than just housing or property taxes. Affordability lies in the many daily costs we all incur by living in Evanston--health care, parking, etc. If I am elected Mayor, I plan on looking at all our revenue streams and expenditures, and working to understand how we can make an Evanston affordable in small ways, too. Part of that means making tough choices regarding spending. I am not a supporter of putting public money into Harley Clarke. I am not a supporter of giving loans to specific businesses.

3) Social Justice

I feel strongly that we need to remain a welcoming City to everyone, no matter their race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. This is even more important today after the recent election and the increase in hate crimes that I think is directly attributable to the divisive, cruel, and unkind language this Administration repeatedly uses. How some cannot see the benefits of a diverse community, and I mean that in a broad way, is hard for me to understand.

I will take a stand against bigotry and hatred towards anyone in our community. Not too long ago it was directed towards Muslims with the defacement of the Quran at the library. As I said at a recent protest by ETHS students and Northwestern Muslim students, we cannot normalize hate or division. We must normalize empathy, compassion, and kindness.

I will fight this Administration’s threats to reduce our federal funding in several ways. One, we should try to establish a compact between welcoming cities. The good news is we are not alone in our stance. I think we should look to have all welcoming (sanctuary) cities form a compact to stick together. We are, as Hillary Clinton said, stronger together. Second, I would work hard with our state and federal legislators to push back on any position taken by the Trump administration to reduce our aid. We may have lost the Presidential election (90% of Evanstonians voted for Hillary Clinton), however, collectively we pay tens of millions in federal income tax, and we deserve our fair share. To punish communities for standing up for the rights of immigrants, most of whom are tax paying, productive members of our community, is to deny them the dignity with which they should be treated. Third, I would analyze our budget to determine if there are areas where we can obtain cost savings to make up for any lost federal funds, should the Trump administration be successful in denying us our fair share.

If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?

(1) A new Robert Crown Community Center that does not increase our taxes, (2) An affordable housing strategy that is being implemented, (3) smart and sensible economic development throughout all of Evanston that is increasing our property tax base, (4) A beautiful and additive use of the Harley Clarke mansion, (5) A cradle to career approach that is more measured and effective in ultimately helping underserved families and kids succeed beyond high school.

Please share with voters a story about wisdom gained from a mistake you made in your life or career.

Sometimes history is in the making, and you have to take your head out of the book. In the Fall of 1989, I studied abroad in London. When the Berlin Wall came down, many of my classmates travelled to Berlin to be a part of this historic event. Instead, I stayed back in London to write term papers and study for upcoming exams. It’s a mistake I regret to this day. Instead of being a part of history I was reading history. The wisdom I gained from this experience is to make sure I view events of my life, community, nation, and world through a wider lens. I now often ask myself the question: if I am fortunate to live to be 70 years old, will I regret that I didn’t do this? It’s this outlook that, in part, led me to start my company and to now run for local office.

Why should voters trust you?

(1) I have spent my entire adult life trying to implement good government. (2) Leaders within the field of government (the National Academy of Public Administration) have recognized me as an advocate of good government through my election as a Fellow. (3) I have a long and proven track record, professionally and within Evanston, of trying to live by the values of integrity, innovation, teamwork, and excellence.

Share a quote that defines your philosophy:

The one quote that defines my philosophy is the Athenian Oath of Citizenship, which donned the halls of the Maxwell School of Citizenship: “We will ever strive for the ideals and sacred things of the city, both alone and with many; We will unceasingly seek to quicken the sense of public duty; We will revere and obey the city’s laws; We will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.”

What questions should be asked of current government employees accountable to your board?

• How can we operate more efficiently?
• How can we better serve our constituents?
• Are there unaddressed constituent needs that are impeding our ability to achieve our objective?
• Is our process open, fair, and transparent to the public?
• Have we created barriers that are impeding our ability to achieve our objective?
• How are we better bringing government to the people instead of looking to get people to come to the government?

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)?

I believe that we have many more critical infrastructure needs and human service needs than we have money. Therefore, I feel strongly we need to make difficult choices and decisions. Personally, I don’t think we should spend money unless we have it, and even then, I think it should be spent in a very smart manner, following a thoughtful strategic plan put together by the governing body. All taxpayer money should be accounted for and reported in a simple, understandable format.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I graduated from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. I am the founder of Hagerty Consulting, a public sector consulting company. Over my professional career, which began at Price Waterhouse, I have helped many municipal governments prepare for and recover from disasters, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
My family invests in this community and actively supports many local organizations including Y.O.U., Evanston Community Foundation, Youth Job Center, YWCA, YMCA, the Moran Center, Connections for the Homeless, D65 Foundation, the Evanston MashUp, and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. I have served in a leadership role in many of these organizations and have effectuated positive change. My children are or have been active in AYSO, EBSA, YWCA Flying Fish, Evanston Jr. Wildkits Hockey, and YMCA’s Camp Echo.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

By Dr. Margaret Charters, my college advisor, when she took me aside my junior year and said, “Steve, you have to have faith. You can’t control every outcome.” She made this comment because I was upset at how poorly I performed on the law school entrance exam. Based on that meeting – and her understanding that I wanted to pursue a public-sector career – she set me up with an appointment at the Maxwell School of Citizenship. Her advice has served me well throughout adulthood and offered me calmness during uncertain times.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Two and a half years ago, I was at a small, 20-person, intimate dinner at the Maxwell School in Syracuse, NY. The two guests that evening were retired senior NY State legislators. They were bemoaning the divisive state of politics these days and remarking that, when they were legislators, compromise was not a bad thing. Later that evening, the Dean asked the group why more of Maxwell's graduates were not going into elected service. I remarked that our graduates see how little seems to get accomplished, how personal and mean spirited elections and governing can be, and that perhaps there are other, more valuable, and less intrusive ways for citizens to contribute to the public good. Nonetheless, I left that dinner and began to contemplate that perhaps I should run for office; that someone with 24 years of hands-on management consulting experience working with local governments around the country ought to offer that experience to the community I live in. So, here I am, in the fray and, whether I'm elected or not, I am pleased to have offered myself up for the people to decide. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I am confident I offer Evanston someone who always tries to live by the values of integrity, teamwork, innovation, and excellence, and someone who thinks the greater good is more important than personal gain. I would be grateful for your vote and the opportunity to become the Next Mayor of one of the finest urban ring cities in America.

More via Steve Hagerty's campaign website

Photo submitted by Steve Hagerty.