Politics & Government

City Manager Appointed Interim Township Supervisor

Wally Bobkiewicz will temporarily take over for former Evanston Township Supervisor Gary Gaspard, who resigned last week.

Evanston city manager Wally Bobkiewicz was appointed interim township supervisor Monday, following the abrupt resignation of Gary Gaspard on Friday.

Ald. Delores Holmes (5th ward) made the motion to appoint Bobkiewicz as interim township supervisor during a special meeting of the township board held on Monday night. City council members, who also serve as township board trustees, approved the motion 7-3.

"I worry that for those clients of ours at the township, those are people who fall through cracks, and I don't want them falling through this crack in the lack of a township supervisor," said Ald. Jane Grover (7th ward). "I have every confidence in Mr. Bobkiewicz."

Grover suggested that the city should delegate day-to-day oversight of the township office to Evonda Thomas, health director for the city of Evanston.

Ald. Don Wilson (4th ward) and Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd ward) both said it was too early to make a decision on a new appointment.

"I think it's important to have a supervisor, an elected position for the township," Braithwaite said. 

Holmes noted that the city council could direct the city manager and health director in the short-term, while working to develop a more substantial plan to present to the community. 

City council members are currently considering a binding referendum that would ask voters whether or not they wanted to abolish the office of Evanston Township. They are also creating a plan that outlines what services the township provides and how those services might be provided without the township. 

"If it's going to be abolished, then the residents of Evanston need to know what kinds of services would still be provided," Holmes said.

Bobkiewicz said he planned to present more information on the possible dissolution of the city council at next Monday's meeting.


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