Votes at a glance: Evanston Finance & Budget Committee actions

The City of Evanston Finance & Budget Committee recorded the following formal actions during the meeting (roll-call tallies reported by committee staff):

1) Approval of minutes: The committee approved the minutes of the January 14, 2025 Finance & Budget Committee meeting. Vote: approved 5-0 (Council Member Kelly, Committee Member McMillan, Council Member Wynne, Chair Ryches, Council Member Burns voting Aye).

2) 2024 Post Bond Issuance Report (placement on file): Staff asked the committee to recommend that the City Council review and place the 2024 post bond issuance report on file. Motion to recommend placement passed on a roll call: approved 5-0 (Council Member Kelly, Committee Member McMillan, Council Member Wynne, Chair Ryches, Council Member Burns voting Aye).

3) Resolution 20R-25 (reimbursement resolution): The committee voted to recommend to the City Council adoption of Resolution 20R-25, which expresses official intent to reimburse certain capital expenditures from the proceeds of obligations (future bond issues). Vote: approved 6-0 (Council Member Kelly; Committee Member McMillan; Council Member Wynne; Council Member Neussmann; Chair Ryches; Council Member Burns voted Aye).

4) Zero-based budgeting pilot (referral to City Council): The committee directed staff to investigate a pilot zero-based budgeting program, recommend a department for the pilot (with a short comparison of candidate departments), and provide a preliminary consultant-fee estimate and timeline for City Council consideration. Vote: approved 6-0 (Council Member Kelly; Committee Member McMillan; Council Member Wynne; Council Member Neussmann; Chair Ryches; Council Member Burns voted Aye).

Ending: Staff will place the 2024 post-bond report on the Council agenda per the committee’s recommendation, will bring Resolution 20R-25 forward for Council consideration, and will return with the zero-based budgeting department recommendation and cost estimates.