Advocates Say No to Budget Cut Proposals

Evanston residents spoke out in support of the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course and the Chandler-Newberger Center, two prominent city establishments which potentially lie on the 2012 budget cutting board.

“I loved Chandler so much that it greatly influenced our decision to move to Evanston,” said resident Wes Meedle.

Meedle said his work at Chandler as a coach influenced him to pursue a career in mentoring kids.

Jaime Vehovsky, an Evanston mother of three, said Chandler is a place where her children, who attend private school, get to mingle with children from all across the city.

Vehovsky is working alongside a group of committed community members seeking to protect Chandler from getting cut from the budget.  They say that since Chandler is able to pay 93 percent of its operating costs through membership fees, the city wouldn’t save money if it closed the center.

City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz proposed the cut as a way to trim up budget shortfall. 

A ‘Do Not Close Chandler’ petition letter has been circulating online. Chandler supporters also built a Facebook page and are in the process of creating a website for the cause.

Residents also spoke in support of the Evanston-Wilmette Golf Course.

Bobkiewicz said the the course’s water supply may soon be cut because it has failed to pay its $12,000 water bill.

The golf association that runs the course argued that it more than makes up for that lost bill with the amount of mowing it provides – some $80,000 that the city would otherwise have to pay for.

“$12,000 is such a tiny amount of all the taxes I’ve paid throughout the years,” said resident Christine Froula.

She urged the city council to change the status of the golf course as a park to fix the issue of the unpaid water bill.

Budget discussions will continue at future city council meetings.