Budget main issue for 3rd Ward hopefuls
MARCH 8, 2025, EVANSTON NOW - Candidate Gennifer Geer said “in the face of a federal administration that doesn’t want to help us reach our goals,” fiscal responsibility is a top priority.
Geer said she’s “very opposed to raising the city’s property tax levy” to increase revenue, instead proposing expanding the tax base, encouraging more two and three bedroom homes, implementing a vacancy fee for empty storefronts and “streamlining” the zoning code.
“We spend a lot of money on consultants that produce a project that the public dislikes,” Geer said, instead encouraging an earlier and more comprehensive public engagement process up front.
“We should diligently gather information, set out a timeline and then make a decision in that timeline,” Geer said.
She said allowing up to 100ft in development height on on Chicago Avenue is too high and said “We don’t necessarily need to build more buildings” to increase growth, supporting adapting large homes as duplexes.
