Help the City pick its next City Manager: TONIGHT
The City Manager is the most important position in Evanston, and the right person will be instrumental in helping to end structural racism and achieve racial equity here.
Register now to participate in tonight's community meeting (it's the last one) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. as the City seeks public input about the qualities Evanston residents want to see in Evanston's next City Manager.
GovHR USA, the City’s consultant for the search, will incorporate feedback received at the meetings to assist with candidate recruitment during its nationwide search. You can submit questions to GovHR before tonight's meeting here: EvanstonCityManager@GovHRUSA.com.
Last week, Dear Evanston and eight other major Evanston membership organizations and campaigns collaborated to develop and submit to the City Council and search consultants a comprehensive description of qualifications and traits for the ideal Evanston City Manager.
Make sure to read this document before tonight's meeting and consider using language from it to help draft YOUR message.
This description reflects our commitment to an Evanston that is dedicated to ending structural racism and achieving racial equity, in the words of the City Council's unanimously passed Resolution, and to implementing fully participatory democratic practices.
Each of these nine campaigns, grassroots or membership groups are committed to an Evanston that is just, equitable, and inclusive:
-- The Citizens' Network of Protection - Evanston, IL (CNP) -- Community Alliance for Better Government -- Dear Evanston -- Evanston Fight for Black Lives -- Evanston Minority Business Consortium -- Evanston Voter Initiative -- ESPCAR - Every Single Person Committed to Anti-Racism -- OPAL, Organization for Positive Action and Leadership -- Reclaim Evanston
As groups comprising a wide swath of Evanstonians, we come together in response to the City’s stated call to the community for input in the City Manager selection process:
“In order to make this a transparent and public process, the City is soliciting feedback from the community regarding the characteristics and traits the new city manager should possess as well as the opportunities and challenges he/she may face.”
Our intent in widely circulating this job description for the most important job in Evanston is two-fold:
1. To broaden public understanding of how a City Manager can promote a culture of inclusion and racial equity as well as policies and programs to match, and;
2. To ensure that all members of the Evanston community participate in sharing their own opinions. This isn't just a job description for a City Manager; it's the beginning of the development of a collective aspiration for the community.
Remember: the City Council almost circumvented the public participation process in the City Manager search by hiring the interim City Manager outright last month, but public outcry persuaded the Council to reverse course and resume the national search process, including ensuring a robust public process. Let's make sure to engage in the process!
Thank you to Gail Schechter and the Community Alliance for Better Government for coordinating this effort.
For more info about the search go to the City's website.
