In an effort to inform Evanston voters about candidates for the Second and Ninth wards, the RoundTable sent out a standard questionnaire to each person running for a council seat in either ward. Today, we are publishing responses from candidates, which you can find in one place here.
Early voting opened at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center on Monday, March 20, and Election Day is Tuesday, April 4.
Patricia Gregory
Provide your occupation (if you’re a consultant, please describe what type of consulting work you do), recent civic/volunteer activities, educational background, and time you have lived in Evanston.
I am an educator. I am an Evanstonian at heart! I was born and raised here. The Second Ward is my home and where I would serve proudly. I have always been an active member in this community and held many roles. Currently, I am on the Evanston Parks and Recreation Board as well as a Reba Learning Center board member. I am also the co-staff union representative for Lincoln School. Previously, I have served on the Evanston Skokie District 65 Strategic Planning committee. Similarly, I was the education chair of Foster Park Neighbors group. Furthermore, I served as co-chair of Evanston/Skokie District 65 and District 202 PTA Council, co-president, and the District 65 DEC Grievance Committee member.
What do you see as the top three challenges facing the city of Evanston in the next few years, and how would you address them?
Equity and Inclusion: This is a priority to me as I feel that it needs to be addressed with our government employees, but also with our community and citizens at large. I would hold many different opportunities, formal and informal, for our citizens to get to know each other, appreciate our differences and similarities, and learn to understand our impact. How and how often we communicate with each other can strengthen our relationships and help us to realize that we can gain understanding and empathy as well.
The Margarita Inn: I would revisit the priorities of this organization and help to work with stakeholders to see how we can best serve the needs of people who depend on this service. I would find ways to be fiscally responsible, but provide meaningful training for those involved to be culturally competent and relevant so that they can help this organization to shine more brightly and be a leader in helping people who are experiencing transitional living situations.
Being fiscally responsible: The reality is that budgets are always at the forefront of decisions, and thus, I want to ensure that decisions made are budget friendly but most importantly, are equitable, transparent and fit the needs of our community. First, I would work with our teams to make sure we review proposals and entertain ideas that are rooted in our community’s needs. Then, I would work with all stakeholders, not just the budget people, to figure out ways we can meet our goals and make decisions that are financially sound. After all, we want Evanston to be able to sustain its priorities years past the current administrations.
Name one thing that you think the current council has done well and one thing that it could have done better in the last three years and provide your reasons.
The current council does an admirable job with addressing equity and inclusion with the city’s workers. Unfortunately, I do have experiences of a time when the city did not do well in this area, so I am happy to say I have seen a change for the better.
The current council can certainly take advantage of the consultants’ advice and heed it. They could also include all stakeholders in decisions that affect community members. Transparency and allowing opportunities to hear voices and multiple perspectives of those affected can be powerful.
The council appears to have drawn a line against raising property taxes in favor of raising fees and fines, such as parking and waste disposal. Where do you stand on taxes vs. fees and fines?
Raising property taxes is never popular in my experience. It directly affects many and tends to cast an impact far and wide. It seems to anger mostly all. I would favor raising fines and fees over taxes. This to me makes the most sense. Fines are easier to control typically because of a choice that is made. I do believe that we can work to educate our public to have the reason for fines being accrued. This is definitely part of a larger conversation. Fees are typically charged for an ask, and this too, is a choice.
Where do you stand on the proposed fair work week ordinance and ban on cashless businesses?
The proposed “fair work week” ordinance is at its outset important and seems to put in place some regulations, although, at this time, I am also unable to support this. Chicago has set precedence but as mentioned, their makeup is very different, and I too have concerns about the implication of passing this without doing our own needs assessment. I am in support of EDC [the Economic Development Committee] in voting to have an ordinance drafted and brought back to the EDC for further discussion. This would allow me as well as other community members to have more information and ultimately make an informed decision.
The cashless business proposed ordinance is certainly worthy of a discussion. I have taken the time to understand how this will impact many stakeholders. It is clear to me from the voices I heard from, that this proposal would indeed fall short of support from many. Most importantly, it does not seem equitable for all. When government business also would follow this, it becomes difficult for many who are less advantaged. Not all have the resources to open bank accounts and keep up with bank balances and potential hidden fees if minimums are not met. I do agree that we do need to assess how many businesses currently use this model and how many would be adversely affected by this measure. At this point, I would not be able to support this proposed ordinance.
The city continues to look at selling the Morton Civic Center and possibly moving city offices to the downtown area. Where do you think city offices should be located? What should be done with the 2100 Ridge Ave. property?
I am a firm believer that the city offices should be located near where people can access it best. It seems to me that the downtown would offer this. It would also be convenient if public transportation was used.
The 2100 Ridge property should be used for a city service. With the growing population, maybe we can use it to serve our community’s needs better; a place for youth activities or affordable housing, perhaps. Only a needs assessment and community input can truly help determine this. I truly believe in bringing in all voices, as perspectives are important and should be honored.