Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Please SAVE this post, read it carefully, and watch the short clip.
If you want the full story, you can watch the entire City Council meeting on the City of Evanston’s YouTube channel.
Here’s the simple truth (broken down so even a 3-year-old could get it):
The developers of 605 Davis chose Tier 3.
Tier 3 = a massive tax holiday for them and a $40–$50 million bill for us.
For the first 6 years, they pay taxes as if the land is still empty. Zero new money for schools, police, fire, or city services.
By Year 13, they’re still only paying about 80% of what they owe.
Not until Year 30 will they finally pay their full tax bill and by then all the so-called “affordable units” vanish.
That’s not a deal. That’s a giveaway.
🙌 Clare Kelly isn’t blocking a building.
She’s fighting to protect residents’ wallets.
She’s pushing for 10% inclusionary housing instead, so developers pay their fair share upfront and the city doesn’t bleed money.
And guess what? Even two of Mayor Biss’ closest allies, Jonathan Nieuwsma and Bobby Burns, had to pause and listen. They heard the residents. They heard Clare. They pumped the brakes.
Matt Rodgers backed Clare too, but wanted Land Use to dig deeper.
🤖 Meanwhile, others just voted on autopilot - Krissie Harris, Shawn Iles, and Juan Geracaris.
They didn’t ask questions about the tax burden on resdients, didn’t push for details, didn’t show independent thought. When residents are on the hook for tens of millions, we deserve better than rubber-stamp votes. They stuck to the script.
During the discussion, Councilmember Krissie Harris stated on the record that she “hasn’t seen any kickbacks.”
What stood out is that no one on the dais had brought up kickbacks.
⚠️ Tom Suffredin raised another red flag:
Why are council members having long private meetings with developers in wards that aren’t even theirs? What’s being discussed behind closed doors?
And here’s where many residents were left with questions:
Why didn’t senior staff, Paul Zalmezak, Sarah Flax, and Liz Williams, lay out a clear side-by-side of Tier 3, Tier 1, and Clare’s 10% approach?
That type of comparison would have helped both council and the public fully understand how each choice impacts taxpayers. Instead, the discussion moved forward in a way that left the impression the current deal was the best option.
But best for who?
Residents deserve transparency, clarity, and the full picture before decisions of this scale are made.
📌 Here’s the bottom line:
Tier 3 means WE pay the developers’ bill.
Tier 1 (or Clare’s push for 10%) means THEY pay more of their fair share.
This isn’t complicated. It’s about whether your council member works for you or for the developers.
👉 Next steps for all of us:
SAVE this post so you can come back to it.
Watch the video clip.
Share this with your neighbors.
Email your council member, Mayor Biss, and staff (Paul Zalmezak, Sarah Flax, Williams) and ask them why residents should pay developers’ bills.
City Hall transparency matters. Residents are already raising eyebrows after the City Clerk’s office, the very office that handles our FOIA requests, hired the spouse of senior staff. It’s a fair question to ask: are staff working for the residents, or for the developers?
📌 Watch. Save. Share. Speak up. This is your money.
#Evanston #EvanstonPolitics #EvanstonTaxpayers #EvanstonCityCouncil #EvanstonDevelopers #StopTheGiveaway #TaxJustice #HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #FollowTheMoney #TransparencyMatters #WeDeserveBetter #ClareKelly #ResidentsFirst #HoldThemAccountable #EvanstonStrong #CommunityOverDevelopers #danielbiss #meleikagardner
Please SAVE this post, read it carefully, and watch the short clip.
If you want the full story, you can watch the entire City Council meeting on the City of Evanston’s YouTube channel.
Here’s the simple truth (broken down so even a 3-year-old could get it):
The developers of 605 Davis chose Tier 3.
Tier 3 = a massive tax holiday for them and a $40–$50 million bill for us.
For the first 6 years, they pay taxes as if the land is still empty. Zero new money for schools, police, fire, or city services.
By Year 13, they’re still only paying about 80% of what they owe.
Not until Year 30 will they finally pay their full tax bill and by then all the so-called “affordable units” vanish.
That’s not a deal. That’s a giveaway.
🙌 Clare Kelly isn’t blocking a building.
She’s fighting to protect residents’ wallets.
She’s pushing for 10% inclusionary housing instead, so developers pay their fair share upfront and the city doesn’t bleed money.
And guess what? Even two of Mayor Biss’ closest allies, Jonathan Nieuwsma and Bobby Burns, had to pause and listen. They heard the residents. They heard Clare. They pumped the brakes.
Matt Rodgers backed Clare too, but wanted Land Use to dig deeper.
🤖 Meanwhile, others just voted on autopilot - Krissie Harris, Shawn Iles, and Juan Geracaris.
They didn’t ask questions about the tax burden on resdients, didn’t push for details, didn’t show independent thought. When residents are on the hook for tens of millions, we deserve better than rubber-stamp votes. They stuck to the script.
During the discussion, Councilmember Krissie Harris stated on the record that she “hasn’t seen any kickbacks.”
What stood out is that no one on the dais had brought up kickbacks.
⚠️ Tom Suffredin raised another red flag:
Why are council members having long private meetings with developers in wards that aren’t even theirs? What’s being discussed behind closed doors?
And here’s where many residents were left with questions:
Why didn’t senior staff, Paul Zalmezak, Sarah Flax, and Liz Williams, lay out a clear side-by-side of Tier 3, Tier 1, and Clare’s 10% approach?
That type of comparison would have helped both council and the public fully understand how each choice impacts taxpayers. Instead, the discussion moved forward in a way that left the impression the current deal was the best option.
But best for who?
Residents deserve transparency, clarity, and the full picture before decisions of this scale are made.
📌 Here’s the bottom line:
Tier 3 means WE pay the developers’ bill.
Tier 1 (or Clare’s push for 10%) means THEY pay more of their fair share.
This isn’t complicated. It’s about whether your council member works for you or for the developers.
👉 Next steps for all of us:
SAVE this post so you can come back to it.
Watch the video clip.
Share this with your neighbors.
Email your council member, Mayor Biss, and staff (Paul Zalmezak, Sarah Flax, Williams) and ask them why residents should pay developers’ bills.
City Hall transparency matters. Residents are already raising eyebrows after the City Clerk’s office, the very office that handles our FOIA requests, hired the spouse of senior staff. It’s a fair question to ask: are staff working for the residents, or for the developers?
📌 Watch. Save. Share. Speak up. This is your money.
#Evanston #EvanstonPolitics #EvanstonTaxpayers #EvanstonCityCouncil #EvanstonDevelopers #StopTheGiveaway #TaxJustice #HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #FollowTheMoney #TransparencyMatters #WeDeserveBetter #ClareKelly #ResidentsFirst #HoldThemAccountable #EvanstonStrong #CommunityOverDevelopers #danielbiss #meleikagardner
