Evanston Sets Turnout Record While Approving Referendums

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston voters came out in record numbers Tuesday, with turnout in the city more than twice that of suburban Cook County as a whole. In a pair of referendums on the ballot, Evanstonians narrowly authorized a proposal to implement the state's first graduated tax on real estate transactions and overwhelming approved an advisory question rejecting the City Council's decision to pursue the demolition of the Harley Clarke mansion.

More than 34,500 ballots were cast among Evanston's 52,047 registered voters for a 66.3 percent turnout, according to preliminary results from the Cook County Clerk's Office.

The percentage of registered Evanston voters who cast ballots Tuesday was higher in any midterm gubernatorial election in the past 20 years, according to the Clerk's office. Previous highs included a 59 percent turnout in 1998 and a 60.2 percent turnout in 2010.

Only 29.1 percent of suburban Cook County voters participated in the 2018 midterms, an improvement from the 16 percent turnout recorded in 2014 but below a 28-year high of 33.4 percent set in 2002.

One of the two referendums approved by voters was a tax increase placed on the ballot by alderman, which is binding, while the other was a citizen-sponsored advisory referendum, which is not.

Voters in Evanston had twice rejected increases to the city's real estate transfer tax in the past 12 years, although this was the first time they were asked about the implementation of a progressive tax structure.

The transfer tax is paid by sellers when property is sold. The ballot measure adopts a graduated tax plan with three brackets. The rate will remain the same – $5 per every $1,000 in a property's sale price, or 0.5 percent – for all properties sold for under $1.5 million. But for transactions worth between $1.5 million and $5 million, the rate rises to 0.7 percent, and sellers of properties that close for more than $5 million will pay 0.9 percent.

City staff estimated the change could provide about $850,000 toward plugging Evanston's $7.5 million budget deficit. The tax increase was opposed by the political committee of Illinois Realtors, who contributed $100,000 towards efforts to defeat it.

In unofficial results from the clerk's office, voters approved the new tax with 52.39 percent in favor and 47.61 percent opposed, a margin of 1,556 votes. More than 2,000 Evanston voters did not cast a ballot for or against the question. Aldermen must now approve an ordinance to implement the tax, according to City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz. It is expected to be introduced at Monday's City Council meeting and would take effect Jan. 1, 2019.

The other, non-binding referendum asked voters if the city should "protect from demolition and preserve the preserve the landmark Harley Clarke buildings and gardens next to Lighthouse Beach, for use and access as public property, consistent with the Evanston Lakefront Master Plan, at minimal or no cost to Evanston taxpayers."

More than 80 percent of voters answered 'yes' with less than 20 percent opposed – a margin of more than 20,000 votes. About 1,300 people declined to vote one way or the other.

The question was placed on the ballot by the Save Harley Clarke group, which was formed after a plan to demolish the mansion with private financing was revealed publicly in May by representatives of the Evanston Lighthouse Dunes group. The city entered into a contract with five residents and a nonprofit foundation on behalf of the Dunes group to seek demolition of the city-owned landmark in exchange for $400,000 to defray the cost. (Evanston has denied public records requests seeking the size of contributions to the demolition fund, claiming "that the donation amounts are personal in nature, disclosure of which is objectionable to a reasonable person." Patch has appealed that denial to the Illinois Attorney General's Office and awaits a response.)

The Evanston Historic Preservation Commission unanimously rejected the city's request for permission to raze the structure, and Bobkiewicz has said he plans to appeal the issue to the City Council within weeks. He has until Nov. 21 to do so.

Demolition supporters argue preserving the building is too costly and removing it would add more public parkland to the lakefront. Supports of keeping the building claim the mansion and its coach house are more of an asset than a liability and suggest a solution is possible – such as a partnership with the state under a new governor – that leaves the building intact at no cost to local taxpayers.

The mansion has been owned by the city since 1965, when it arranged to purchase it from a fraternity under threat of condemnation. It was occupied by the Evanston Arts Center until 2015, when deferred maintenance left it unsuitable for use without repairs to bring it up to code. Aldermen have rejected various possible uses for the site, including a boutique hotel and an environmental education center. Members of the City Council advocating for demolition have expressed concerns about the potential commercialization of the lakefront and financial risks associated with keeping the building.

Allie Harned, of Save Harley Clarke, who collected signatures to get the referendum on the ballot and advocated for a 'yes' vote, said in a release the vote shows Evanstonians support protecting the "valuable asset" owned by the public.

“We urge City Council to listen to the voice of the community and to end all discussion of demolition so that we can focus on next steps for our city’s adaptive reuse of the Harley Clarke building; representing economic growth, job creation, cultural tourism and lakefront equity for all," Harned said. “We want to thank our many passionate volunteers, elected officials Jan Schakowsky, Robyn Gabel, Laura Fine and Cam Davis, and especially Landmarks Illinois, who advocated for us and worked so hard so that every Evanstonian could have their voice heard.”