City Manager Proposes $2M in Budget Cuts
Evanston City Manager Luke Stowe has proposed about $2 million in reductions to the city's proposed 2027 budget, which a Finance and Budget Committee advanced with a negative recommendation.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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City Manager Luke Stowe proposed about $2 million in budget reductions to Evanston's proposed 2027 budget at a Finance and Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday night. The committee advanced the proposals with a negative recommendation.
Why it matters
The proposals are aimed at addressing the city's budget shortfall, and they would affect staffing, wages and transfers between city funds for Evanston residents and employees. The City Council will weigh the proposals and any amendments before the budget is adopted.
The combined proposed reductions total about $2.2 million in the city's tax levy, with the non-union wage increase cut from 2% to 1% and the projected job vacancy rate raised to 4.5% from 3%. Union wage talks remain open, and the city has assumed an estimated 2% increase for union employees.
The players
Luke Stowe
Luke Stowe is the City Manager of Evanston, responsible for proposing the city's budget and administrative operations.
Evanston City Council
The Evanston City Council is the elected legislative body that will review, amend and ultimately adopt the city's budget.
The details
The proposals include a partial hiring freeze for non-union positions, two additional staff reductions, and the halting of a $350,000 transfer from the Special Assessment Fund to the General Fund. The City Manager said he would bring additional position reduction suggestions before Monday's City Council meeting.
Timeline
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Stowe proposed the cuts at the Finance and Budget Committee meeting.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The City Council will review the draft budget and vote on amendments.
Late November 2026: The City Council typically adopts the budget.
Political Context
The reductions are being proposed through Evanston's standard annual budget cycle, in which the City Manager presents a draft and the council adopts it by late November. Opposition to the cuts has come from the Finance and Budget Committee, which advanced the proposals with a negative recommendation.
Evanston residents could see a smaller pay increase for non-union city workers and fewer city positions filled as vacancies rise to a projected 4.5%. The proposals also redirect $350,000 that had moved from the Special Assessment Fund, which affects how city services are funded.
The takeaway
Residents who want to weigh in on the cuts can follow the City Council's Monday review and budget vote, when amendments are expected to include more reductions than the manager first proposed.
What happens next
The City Council will review the draft budget and vote on amendments on Monday, November 9, 2026, and typically adopts the budget by late November.
Further reading
Follow the latest decisions at City Hall as the council takes up the budget amendments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Evanston Now.
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