Over the past four years, City officials have lost the concept of listening to those who elected them. City Council has developed an attitude of “we know better” and ventured off on their own. Citizens, as well as appointed commissions and boards, are too often ignored. This defiance was made clear again when our elected officials chose to ignore the majority recommendation of both the Plan Commission and literally thousands of voters who oppose an “iconic” tower of condominiums in the Fountain Square block. What Evanston needs now is a mayor who has the proven skills to bring a diverse community together and bring back a level of trust in government. Candidate Jeanne Lindwall has that experience. In her career, she has worked to bring diverse neighborhoods such as Humboldt Park to a point where they are working together to address the needs of the community. Leveraging existing talent, creative ideas, external grants and well-drafted plans, they are now headed in a positive direction. As mayor, Jeanne will utilize the existing expertise of neighborhood groups, non-profits, resident professionals and those who truly seek a City that listens and acts in a responsible way. I urge voters to learn more about the candidate I feel is most qualified to lead Evanston for the coming years. To learn more about Jeanne’s qualifications and action plans for Evanston, please visit www.lindwallformayor.org. — Christopher Ernst