Evanston City Council approves city manager's raise to $297,000
Aldermen voted unanimously at Monday's City Council meeting to approve an 8% raise for City Manager Luke Stowe that boosted his annual base salary from $275,000 to $297,000, plus benefits all employees receive such as health insurance.
That surpasses Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's salary of $221,000, though it's not the highest among suburban municipal executives. In Highland Park, the city manager earns a base salary of $300,000; in Wilmette, the village manager earns a salary of $305,000 and in Glenview, the village manager earns a salary of $309,000.
Topping those is Lake Forest, where the city manager earns a salary of $323,000.
Stowe was appointed to city manager by the City Council in August 2022, according to city documents. Then, his starting salary was $250,000, per previous reporting.
The approved raise is retroactive to Stowe's hiring date anniversary in August. The council also approved a $6,000 increase in vehicle allowance for the year.
In a memo from Mayor Daniel Biss to the City Council, Biss wrote that Stowe has not received a raise since October 2023.
'The City Council and I would like to thank Mr. Stowe for his service to the residents of Evanston and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future,' Biss wrote.
Before the vote, 8th Ward City Councilmember Devon Reid thanked Stowe for taking charge of the office in a tumultuous time when he filled vacancies to critical positions. One of his hires includes Evanston's police chief, Schenita Stewart, who was recently named Illinois Police Chief of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
'I truly appreciate your service and what you've done for the City to keep the ship gone straight,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Revamping snow clearing, sidewalk repair on the docket for Edmonton city committee
The City of Edmonton's community and public services committee is set to make recommendations to council on how to potentially update snowing clearing and sidewalk repair policies to improve accessibility. City administration will present options to the committee, detailed in a public report, including proactively repairing sidewalks and getting more snow plows on the road. If committee receives the report for information — which is Administration's recommended action — Administration will continue with option one, which it says will reprioritize resources without impacting the budget. Option one would aim to clear "high social vulnerability areas" earlier. Other options could include adding various numbers of equipment, sidewalk repair and staff. The total budget for snow and ice control is $67 million each year. As Edmonton has grown, so too has the total length of public sidewalks, with a increase of eight per cent over the past 10 years. In 2022, a high priority sidewalk index was created for each sidewalk block in Edmonton and looks at various factors. These include pedestrian volume, proximity to places like schools, senior centres, high frequency bus stops, as well as the social vulnerability index, which looks at how various populations in Edmonton rely on sidewalk access. Those factors are part of the process in making recommendations to committee, administration said. Both sidewalk maintenance and enforcement services would retain their existing model under option one, which administration would pursue if the committee recommends it. The city manages close to 5,776 kilometres of public sidewalks with a $5.9 million annual operating budget dedicated to sidewalk maintenance, while minor and major capital renewals are funded separately. The report, and other options, will be presented to the community and public services committee on Aug. 11 where councillors will vote on whether to recommend changes to all of city council.
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Why tensions are rising over Richmond's Gilpin Court
Richmond's oldest public housing complex is at the center of a growing battle between City Council and the group overseeing it. Why it matters: The fight over Gilpin Court revives questions over how Richmond can redevelop aging neighborhoods without displacing residents. Catch up quick: Tensions began in April when the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) proposed privatizing Gilpin — a move its CEO, Steven Nesmith, said would improve financing options for redeveloping the 80-year-old complex. Opponents feared it'd turn Gilpin into market-rate homes instead and push people out. The board overseeing RRHA rejected the privatization proposal, but Nesmith reintroduced it last month for a September vote. That was after the authority signed an agreement with a New Orleans-based developer, HRI Communities, in May to redevelop the complex. The latest: Now, City Council members are alleging that RRHA broke state law. Council unanimously passed a resolution last week saying RRHA had needed its approval before signing that redevelopment agreement for Gilpin. But the plan can't move forward without the board's vote to transfer Gilpin to a private entity. What they're saying: RRHA says the law doesn't apply to properties it already owns, The Richmonder reports. "Given that this has never been an issue, it is puzzling why it is being raised now," RRHA spokesperson Angela Fountain told The Richmonder. Fountain also told Axios that its governing Board of Commissioners gave Nesmith the authority to enter into an agreement like this in 2023. The other side: "We are not trying to stop redevelopment," 5th District Council member Stephanie Lynch said in a recent meeting. "We are trying to delay displacement, because that is what will happen if we were to allow this to move forward." The intrigue: Some of RRHA's tactics are also raising questions. Last month, the RTD reported that RRHA had hired a firm that offered Gilpin Court residents $20 to attend a June City Council meeting in support of privatization. Nesmith pitched it as ramping up community engagement, but some residents told RTD they felt manipulated. Fountain told Axios that "RRHA did not directly pay, compensate or coach any residents" about the redevelopment issue. Zoom out: Gilpin is the latest in decades of efforts to reshape Richmond's public housing, which are often met with criticism over displacement and transparency. This includes: Creighton Court, which is undergoing a multiphase redevelopment into a mixed-income neighborhood. Mosby, whose revitalization is in early planning. And Whitcomb, which is in limbo.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reforms to bonus ADU program head to San Diego city council for second reading
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego's recent reforms to the city's bonus ADU program are set to have a second reading at city council Tuesday. 'In some projects, we were seeing 20, 30, 40 and now it's getting up over 100 ADU's on a single family-zoned parcel,' said Geoffrey Hueter, chair of Neighbors for a Better San Diego. San Diego City Council passes sweeping amendments to regulate ADUs Neighbors for a Better San Diego has been pushing for changes to the bonus ADU program since 2021 when the first large-scale project got on their radar. Last month, city council finally passed 25 reforms, including parking requirements, developer-paid community enhancement fees, and most notably a limit of four to six units, depending on lot size. State law already allows two ADUs and one junior ADU per property. 'We have built over 5,000 ADUs under those constraints and we don't get protests on that. That's been a very successful program. It's only been these very big bonus ADU projects that have caused reaction from neighborhoods,' said Hueter. Clairemont neighbors file lawsuit against city, developers of 'bonus' ADU project New reforms also include tighter regulations for high fire severity zones, not allowing bonus ADU projects if there is not at least two evacuation routes on a street. This leaves questions for local residents about how these updated rules will affect existing projects. Local group cautiously optimistic about reforms to ADUs in San Diego Hueter believes 'since there is greater awareness of other regulations that apply to these developments, through potential legal action, there may be questions that are raised that either modify or in someway change those existing projects.' A representative from the city's planning department says projects are reviewed based on what regulations are in place at the time their application is 'deemed complete.' San Diego reconsidering ADU incentive: what this means They go on to say, 'in accordance with California Government Code Section 65589.5(o)(2)(B), the City evaluates each project individually to determine whether newly adopted ordinances or policies should apply retroactively, specifically if there is potential for adverse impact on public health or safety.' Should the ADU reforms be passed again during Tuesday's second reading, they then head to the mayor for his signature. Once that happens, the changes will take effect 30 days later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
