What Distinguishes the 6th Ward Candidates for Alderman?

Yesterday, Aldermanic candidates within the City of Evanston participated in the League of Women Voters’ forum held at our Civic Center. The 6^th Ward candidates continue to offer a model of civility that we hope transfers throughout the City and to the new Council. While many of our views are in alignment and reflective of the majority opinions of our constituents, there are important distinctions among the candidates in terms of approach to service.

While financial acumen must be a pre-requisite for service in today’s economic climate, I believe your next Alderman must couple that knowledge with an innate understanding of the behaviors and actions necessary to strengthen a community. In my everyday practice, I work with companies to solve complex change and cultural issues. This is undertaken by bringing people together…finding unique pathways and solutions…and driving implementation through new knowledge. For my business, I work with spreadsheets. For my livelihood, I work with communities.

While accessibility to a Ward’s Alderman must be a foundational part of the role, I believe any intention toward being a “full-time” Alderman potentially undermines the critical relationships we must have between citizens and the professional staff hired to serve them. My focus will be on the hiring of a proven City Manager and then ensuring she or he has the tools, resources and oversight necessary to build an exceptional service team at the Civic Center.

I look to serving in a manner which uses community-building as a context for all decisions and responds to your needs through high-quality services from our City.

With the challenges facing our City and our country, the election on April 7^th will be a critical step toward installing the leadership necessary to navigate us through the next four years. I hope you will pass along these thoughts to your neighbors and friends and encourage them to carefully consider the positions and thinking of the candidates.

I am asking for your vote in the upcoming Consolidated Election.

Opening Remarks at League of Women Voters of Evanston Aldermanic Forum, March 7, 2009

In 1991 I was hired to direct Camp Echo for the McGaw YMCA.  During a 14 year tenure, I had the privilege of working side-by-side with City leaders to guide a multitude of initiatives all directed at strengthening Evanston’s families. The consulting firm I lead today steps into companies that have complex cultural issues and designs solutions to align people toward a common goal. It is a practice built on the principles of community-building, and its success demonstrates a unique qualification.

My top priority is to help lead Evanston through a financial storm in a manner that protects our character and our core values. As a business owner, I face the challenges out there every day. Many running for office have the acumen to cut budgets. But far fewer have shouldered the responsibilities of a community throughout their professional careers. We must undertake every decision with a deep understanding of how individual lives will be impacted.

In the next four years…

• We must strengthen the human infrastructure of our City.

• We must aggressively promote Evanston as a viable location for professional and knowledge-based businesses

• We must ease the financial pressure on our citizens, sustain diverse housing options, and ensure we do not lose those who are so important to the fabric of our community.

• We must ensure that building a sustainable, energy-efficient community remains a context by which we make development and growth decisions.

• And, we must show appreciation, at every opportunity, for those who serve on our Boards, Committees and Commissions so that we can best leverage the intellectual capital we will need to help us through the storm.

In four years, our economic reality may be very different. But, a community will remain. How we tackle what is immediately in front of us will signal the community that emerges. 

Christopher Hart, Candidate for 6th Ward Alderman

chris@hartofthe6thward.com