Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Evanston…you’re not ready for this one.
This 19-minute video reveals what really went down at Monday night’s City Council meeting - and why I snapped. Not out of anger. Out of love, truth, and exhaustion from watching powerful people play politics while our longtime residents lose their homes.
For a full year, Councilmember Clare Kelly, Cook County policy staff, and I worked to build the Evanston Property Tax Circuit Breaker Program - a pilot to keep seniors, working families, and legacy homeowners in their homes. We did the research. We identified the funds. We did the work the city staff wouldn’t.
And yet…Instead of support, we got sabotage.
In these clips (with commentary), you’ll see Councilmember Bobby Burns try to downplay and distort this program - claiming it already exists, claiming ownership of funds, and twisting facts. Even city staff confirmed - there’s nothing like this in the Strategic Housing Plan. Nothing.
When cornered by truth, he deflected...first trying to make himself the hero, then trying to bury the initiative altogether. Why? Because the ego couldn’t handle that the idea didn’t come from him.
And here’s the kicker: Bobby feels entitled to Northwestern’s Affordable Housing Fund - the same fund he thinks he can control because NU made him feel like a king during the Ryan Field negotiations. But Councilmember Parielle Davis checked him real quick after I did in public comment.
Meanwhile, Clare Kelly stood strong willing to compromise, to let HCDC review and make amendments before bringing it back to Council. That’s leadership. That’s putting people first.
But Bobby, Krissie, Shawn, and Jonathan? They’d rather let residents sell their homes to developers than pass relief for those being priced out. Envision Evanston, at this point, looks more like Erase Evanston for the working class.
If you care about truth, fairness, and keeping Evanston’s families in their homes, Save this video. Watch every minute. Then go watch the entire Council meeting and decide for yourself who’s fighting for you, and who’s fighting for control.
This is Part 1. Part 2 drops soon. And it only gets deeper.
For updates and full breakdowns, follow me on Patreon.
Drop your thoughts below. Evanston, it’s time to wake up.
#meleikagardner #evanston #EvanstonCityCouncil #CircuitBreakerProgram #propertytaxrelief #forthepeople #CommunityOverPolitics #transparencymatters #housingjustice #StopDisplacement #WatchTheMeeting #part2comingsoon #danielbiss
Evanston…you’re not ready for this one.
This 19-minute video reveals what really went down at Monday night’s City Council meeting - and why I snapped. Not out of anger. Out of love, truth, and exhaustion from watching powerful people play politics while our longtime residents lose their homes.
For a full year, Councilmember Clare Kelly, Cook County policy staff, and I worked to build the Evanston Property Tax Circuit Breaker Program - a pilot to keep seniors, working families, and legacy homeowners in their homes. We did the research. We identified the funds. We did the work the city staff wouldn’t.
And yet…Instead of support, we got sabotage.
In these clips (with commentary), you’ll see Councilmember Bobby Burns try to downplay and distort this program - claiming it already exists, claiming ownership of funds, and twisting facts. Even city staff confirmed - there’s nothing like this in the Strategic Housing Plan. Nothing.
When cornered by truth, he deflected...first trying to make himself the hero, then trying to bury the initiative altogether. Why? Because the ego couldn’t handle that the idea didn’t come from him.
And here’s the kicker: Bobby feels entitled to Northwestern’s Affordable Housing Fund - the same fund he thinks he can control because NU made him feel like a king during the Ryan Field negotiations. But Councilmember Parielle Davis checked him real quick after I did in public comment.
Meanwhile, Clare Kelly stood strong willing to compromise, to let HCDC review and make amendments before bringing it back to Council. That’s leadership. That’s putting people first.
But Bobby, Krissie, Shawn, and Jonathan? They’d rather let residents sell their homes to developers than pass relief for those being priced out. Envision Evanston, at this point, looks more like Erase Evanston for the working class.
If you care about truth, fairness, and keeping Evanston’s families in their homes, Save this video. Watch every minute. Then go watch the entire Council meeting and decide for yourself who’s fighting for you, and who’s fighting for control.
This is Part 1. Part 2 drops soon. And it only gets deeper.
For updates and full breakdowns, follow me on Patreon.
Drop your thoughts below. Evanston, it’s time to wake up.
#meleikagardner #evanston #EvanstonCityCouncil #CircuitBreakerProgram #propertytaxrelief #forthepeople #CommunityOverPolitics #transparencymatters #housingjustice #StopDisplacement #WatchTheMeeting #part2comingsoon #danielbiss
