Evanston Mayoral Election 2017: Q/A With Jeff Smith

EVANSTON, IL - With five candidates seeking to replace the retiring Elizabeth Tisdahl as mayor of the city of Evanston, a primary election will be held on Feb. 28. If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the April 4 general election will be deemed unnecessary. If a majority is not reached, the top two vote getters will pair in a runoff.

Seeking the highest governmental office in Evanston in 2017 are five candidates: Brian Miller, Steve Hagerty, Gary Gaspard, Jeffrey Smith and Mark Tendam. With men making up all of the contenders, the city is guaranteed to elect its first male mayor since Jay Lytle in 1981.

The roots of the mayoral race in Evanston this year include a number of challenges in which multiple candidates have filed objections to the candidacy of others. A full rundown of the "drama" in the race and its timeline is detailed in this North by Northwestern piece that was released in January. The end result was that all five candidates seeking the mayoralty were allowed to run.

Evanston Patch asked all of the candidates the same set of 12 questions in early February, with responses coming through email. Here are the responses from candidate Jeff Smith, a local business adviser, writer and teacher.

• What is the most pressing issue facing the city in 2017?

Evanston is not in crisis. We get repeatedly distracted by controversies like backyard chickens or a brutal arrest video, while the biggest problems advance steadily but unnoticed, like rust. The overarching issue is that Evanston may dramatically change – socioeconomically, culturally, architecturally -- in ways that don't reflect community values, because of neglect of longterm financial and economic issues, and lack of vision. Profit-driven forces uninterested in preserving what we cherish see Evanston as just land and money. Without visionary government, that'll lead to blander, more crowded, more expensive.

I'll fight to preserve a special place, centered on people – people who choose to live here for the diversity, schools, intellectualism, creativity, green space, lakefront, and values.

• As mayor, what is something you’d like to change immediately?

One: I'd like to retire TIF districts that no longer serve their purpose. Two Evanston TIF districts now have negative balances, which is only possible through unwise borrowing. Tax increment financing can be a useful tool when carefully and correctly applied, but is overused in Cook County; TIF districts now cover more land than any suburb, diverting money from the operational budgets of local governments and schools, while enabling opaque, slush-fund-like deals.

Two: I will give the Council the means to fix Evanston's confused and broken election system. If the Council does not do it, I will take it directly to the voters via referendum.

• What would you like to see done with the Harley Clarke Mansion?

This registered historic landmark, the only public lakefront mansion in suburban Cook County, must remain dedicated to public use. Ideally, the entire Lighthouse Landing campus – mansion, coachhouse, gardens, fog houses, lighthouse, parkland, and dunes – would function synergistically as a destination for fabulous recreation and active programming for all Evanston residents, while attracting light-impact tourism (ecotourism, bicyclists, paddlesports).

The City lacks the resources and flexibility for such a transformation. Springfield remains dysfunctional. The Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens vision at evanstonlakehouse.org, modeled on successful precedents in many other locations nationwide, is consistent with Evanston's Lakefront Plan, and is the smartest, most practical plan on the table. The City should contract with ELHG to make this vision a reality for Evanston.

• What are your thoughts on the Dodge Avenue bike lane and how the city has catered to bicyclists in recent years?

The rollout of the Dodge lane was clumsy, repeating patterns we've seen where residents protest change they weren't sufficiently involved in. But a more integrated bicycle transportation network is part of Evanston's future. Bicycle use continues to grow in all our communities, not just sterotypical white guys in spandex. Biking will make Evanston more affordable and accessible for many.

The challenge is dealing with a street system first laid out for horse and buggy, then cars, then monkeyed with by politicians. Smart holistic planning will leverage Evanston as the bicycle hub of the north suburbs, and engaging all residents. This will ultimately ease traffic and parking pressures, generate revenue, and make it easier to live and work here.

• How would you address the crime problem facing some neighborhoods in Evanston?

There is some crime everywhere, but its concentration is localized. Crime has decreased significantly. Most Evanston crimes are nonviolent property crimes. Gangs and personal feuds are the source of most gun violence, interpersonal disputes are the surce of most non-gun-violence, gangs/poverty/thrill are the source of most property crimes. Let's be real, one mayor won't singlehandedly change that. Any candidate claiming he will is blowing political hot air.

I'll continue the expansion of jobs opportunities Mayor Tisdahl has developed, will work closely with the police, and I'll foster a closer relationship with State's Attorney Foxx's office to tackle gang crime. I'll reach out personally to residents and community leaders to foster a culture of peace and respect, from within.

• There’s been a perceived disconnect between the Evanston Police Department and the city’s African-American community. How much of a problem is this and what solution would you offer?

The problem is probably more than reflected in the annual Evanston Police Department reports (which report high satisfaction with EPD, even in the African-American community), but less than reaction to several recent well-publicized instances suggests. The disconnect is greater among the young, but many older residents welcome policing and some would like to see more.

We can do more to humanize a Department that is already above average, and make it a model. Too few officers live here. I've worked with police forces and issues before. I have a dozen specific recommendations about policing in Evanston on my website at jeff4evanston.org/issues/policing and will work to discuss those with the Council, community leaders, and EPD, and implement those agreed upon.

• We’ve seen a few businesses open and close in a short time frame downtown. What is the key to not only attracting businesses to Evanston but keeping them here as well?

A business can't stay open losing money. It won't locate here at all if the numbers don't work.

Lots of things factor into that first decision. Rents and red tape are disincentives. In an Internet age, a brick and mortar store also needs a significant online presence.

Most new small businesses do fail within 3 years, so some of what we've seen is simply that. But some businesses misjudge an Evanston market that's a little atypical.

I have 20 recommendations, from streamlining paperwork to providing online boosts, on my website at jeff4evanston.org/issues/economic-development . My ideas derive from living within 2 miles of downtown Evanston for most of the last 40 years, and more experience counseling Evanston businesses than other candidates.

• Evanston is known as a progressive leader and a city ahead of the curve in many areas. Are you proud of this trait?

Yes, when it's substantive, not silly. Sometimes the label doesn't square with reality, either. After a couple years of activist efforts and some by Council as well, it was only well after Chicago's lead that Evanston tackled a shopping bag ordinance, for example. Chicago has a more metric-based sustainability effort, too.

I have laid out a vision of Evanston being a leader, and that's a strong reason why I'm running. I will work to make our performance match our rhetoric. However, my efforts will be driven less by ideology than by what, consistent with our values, will be effective.

• How would you describe the city’s partnership with Northwestern University? Has this partnership been effective and would you like to see it continue?

I'd describe it as schizophrenic, with big longterm mood swings. Over decades, it's gone from a perception of NU dominating the town, to an era of unproductive outright City Council hostility, then a pendulum swing back. The relationship is the best it's been in decades and the City is receiving more direct benefits than before, but it's not a true partnership yet. The University does what it wants per its plans, and the City seems submissive in return for the aforesaid benefits, while at the same time not doing enough to keep NU from being used as a tax scapegoat. We need more student engagement; more true joint planning, especially on lakefront ecology, expansion ideas, and economic development.

• Are there enough social programs in Evanston and are the ones here effective?

Quantity is not the problem; if anything, we tend to see new efforts crop up and overlap rather than use existing channels. In part that's because there is a highly social aspect to social programs, with all that that entails. Those aspects in turn bleed into government-run programs because private programs act as filters.

Many good things are in fact being done. I haven't analyzed ratios of program delivery to overhead, etc. As mayor I don't see my job as second-guessing nonprofits. But my sense is that greater coordination, sharing of efforts to reduce duplication, and inclusion of more of the community across more lines, and not just racial, would amplify the impact of many good intentions and impulses.

• As mayor, how would you address the community’s call for free beach access during the summer months?

I'm not sure that there has been a community-wide "call" for that. The economics are a little more complicated. Chicago has a much larger tax base and population base relative to shoreline; communities north of us have a higher ratio of EAV to costs. Lifeguards and beach maintenance are expensive, and so are lawsuits; financial and liability issues weigh against the general concern of limiting access to what is a public trust property. The price of a full season token is less than going to many single sports events or concerts in this area, and a daily pass is less than a movie.

I favor expanded distribution of the existing reduced/free token program. I'll look deeper at free access for Evanston residents.

• Also, add your political background, experience and any other unique qualifications that make you the best candidate for mayor of Evanston.

Only candidate who combines top-level service in executive branch of government with a longtime grassroots advocate’s perspective

• Evanston taxpayer for over 25 years; put two children through Evanston public schools

• Advising local businesses, families for over 25 years

• Demonstrated record of results on controversial issues, including in complicated Evanston

• Bandwidth, energy, organizing ability, analytic chops, and communications skills the next mayor will need to stand strong in uncertain times

• Writer. Teacher. Proven progressive. Dedicated parent. Undaunted advocate of reform. Celebrant of culture and history. Believer in the power of people. Thousands of hours devoted to coaching, teaching children and young adults. Thousands of doors knocked. Many good causes assisted.

I look forward to serving Evanston.

Photo via Jeff4Evanston.org