Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is not a narrative.
This is the record...from the March 9th City Council meeting.
Residents showed up. Not for politics. For survival.
Some of the voices you hear are speaking for others...neighbors, seniors, longtime homeowners trying to stay in their homes as property taxes rise.
And what youâre about to watchâŠyou cannot unsee.
The Evanston Property Tax Circuit Breaker program...a pilot requesting approximately $500,000 from a housing fund publicly discussed in the millions (around $7M)... was delayed until April 13th.
Not approved. Not rejected. Delayed.
Now the timeline...because timelines donât lie.
Councilmember Clare Kelly and I began this work in November 2024. We met with Liza Roberson-Young, Legislative Policy Advisor at the City of Evanston, to start the process. Throughout 2025, we worked with Cook County officials and housing experts to build this program with data.
We attempted to work with additional City staff. Per direction from City Manager Luke Stowe, all coordination had to go through him first. Councilmember Kelly followed that direction. And based on that process, no further assistance was provided to advance the program from City staff.
Now watch the meeting. Not what was said after. What was said in the room.
You will see...Councilmembers Tom Suffredin and Matt Rodgers supporting moving this forward.
And you will also see:...Councilmembers Bobby Burns and Shawn Iles opposing moving it forward at this time.
You will hear...Property tax assistance described as not a priority by councilmember Shawn Iles, who works for a homeless shelter. Let that sit.
Now layer that with the record:
For over a year, property tax relief was NOT part of the Strategic Housing Plan. Then...right as this program gains momentum... it appears in the plan shortly before discussion. As if it had always been there. It hadnât.
Check the records.
And hereâs the part you cannot miss.
After a full year of work on a developed program...
Instead of collaboratingâŠ
Instead of amendingâŠ
Instead of strengthening what already existsâŠ
A separate approach is introduced at the final stage. Not to build together.
To compete.
So now, instead of moving forward with a completed, researched program...
The City delays it to April 13th⊠to have time to create and put a new proposal up against it.
Ask yourself:
If this was about helping residents⊠why not work together over the past year?
Why wait until the moment of movement⊠to introduce something competing instead of collaborating?
And now the question many residents are asking gets even harder:
Why block a $500,000 pilot... a fraction of a fund publicly discussed at approximately $7M... for one year of property tax relief?
Is part of the resistance to this $500,000 pilot tied to how housing funds may need to be prioritized elsewhere...particularly in light of the Wesley situation? Will Wesley be discussed the same night...April 13th...as the Circuit Breaker?
Residents are asking whether there is enough funding to both provide property tax relief to longtime homeowners and address the needs of families impacted by the Wesley situation. Because from the outside looking in... why else block a fraction of available funds in the millions for immediate relief?
No conclusions.
Just questions.
Because while this is being delayed...
Residents are still paying rising property taxes. Right now.
Not April 13th.
Now.
So, as you watch this video...
Donât argue with it. Just watch. Watch who is trying to move it forward. Watch who is stopping it. Watch when the shift happens.
And watch who says nothing. Including Mayor Daniel Biss, whose position...based on public observation...has not been clearly stated in this process.
Because decisions arenât only made in votes. Theyâre made in delays.
đ Next vote: April 13th
đ„ WATCH THIS CAREFULLY. THEN ASK YOURSELF WHY AND HIT THE SAVE AND SHARE BUTTON FOR THIS POST.
#WhereThePeopleMeet #Evanston #CircuitBreaker #PropertyTaxRelief #PublicRecord #Accountability #CommunityVoices #WatchClosely #StayInYourHome #danielbiss #meleikagardner #UnsafeBlackVoice
This is not a narrative.
This is the record...from the March 9th City Council meeting.
Residents showed up. Not for politics. For survival.
Some of the voices you hear are speaking for others...neighbors, seniors, longtime homeowners trying to stay in their homes as property taxes rise.
And what youâre about to watchâŠyou cannot unsee.
The Evanston Property Tax Circuit Breaker program...a pilot requesting approximately $500,000 from a housing fund publicly discussed in the millions (around $7M)... was delayed until April 13th.
Not approved. Not rejected. Delayed.
Now the timeline...because timelines donât lie.
Councilmember Clare Kelly and I began this work in November 2024. We met with Liza Roberson-Young, Legislative Policy Advisor at the City of Evanston, to start the process. Throughout 2025, we worked with Cook County officials and housing experts to build this program with data.
We attempted to work with additional City staff. Per direction from City Manager Luke Stowe, all coordination had to go through him first. Councilmember Kelly followed that direction. And based on that process, no further assistance was provided to advance the program from City staff.
Now watch the meeting. Not what was said after. What was said in the room.
You will see...Councilmembers Tom Suffredin and Matt Rodgers supporting moving this forward.
And you will also see:...Councilmembers Bobby Burns and Shawn Iles opposing moving it forward at this time.
You will hear...Property tax assistance described as not a priority by councilmember Shawn Iles, who works for a homeless shelter. Let that sit.
Now layer that with the record:
For over a year, property tax relief was NOT part of the Strategic Housing Plan. Then...right as this program gains momentum... it appears in the plan shortly before discussion. As if it had always been there. It hadnât.
Check the records.
And hereâs the part you cannot miss.
After a full year of work on a developed program...
Instead of collaboratingâŠ
Instead of amendingâŠ
Instead of strengthening what already existsâŠ
A separate approach is introduced at the final stage. Not to build together.
To compete.
So now, instead of moving forward with a completed, researched program...
The City delays it to April 13th⊠to have time to create and put a new proposal up against it.
Ask yourself:
If this was about helping residents⊠why not work together over the past year?
Why wait until the moment of movement⊠to introduce something competing instead of collaborating?
And now the question many residents are asking gets even harder:
Why block a $500,000 pilot... a fraction of a fund publicly discussed at approximately $7M... for one year of property tax relief?
Is part of the resistance to this $500,000 pilot tied to how housing funds may need to be prioritized elsewhere...particularly in light of the Wesley situation? Will Wesley be discussed the same night...April 13th...as the Circuit Breaker?
Residents are asking whether there is enough funding to both provide property tax relief to longtime homeowners and address the needs of families impacted by the Wesley situation. Because from the outside looking in... why else block a fraction of available funds in the millions for immediate relief?
No conclusions.
Just questions.
Because while this is being delayed...
Residents are still paying rising property taxes. Right now.
Not April 13th.
Now.
So, as you watch this video...
Donât argue with it. Just watch. Watch who is trying to move it forward. Watch who is stopping it. Watch when the shift happens.
And watch who says nothing. Including Mayor Daniel Biss, whose position...based on public observation...has not been clearly stated in this process.
Because decisions arenât only made in votes. Theyâre made in delays.
đ Next vote: April 13th
đ„ WATCH THIS CAREFULLY. THEN ASK YOURSELF WHY AND HIT THE SAVE AND SHARE BUTTON FOR THIS POST.
#WhereThePeopleMeet #Evanston #CircuitBreaker #PropertyTaxRelief #PublicRecord #Accountability #CommunityVoices #WatchClosely #StayInYourHome #danielbiss #meleikagardner #UnsafeBlackVoice
