Evanston city officials have proposed cutting nearly 40 jobs — including five police officers and nine firefighters — slashing the public health department budget, closing one recreation center, and closing and selling a fire station in order to deal with a $7.4 million deficit expected in the city’s fiscal year 2019 budget.
“The public has said loud and clear that they don’t want a property tax increase, so this budget does not have one,” City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said Thursday.“That doesn’t mean we’ll continue doing everything we’ve always done.” Fire Station 4, in the 2nd Ward, could be closed and put up for sale, with all firefighter positions there eliminated, according to the proposed budget. That could save the city about $1.3 million.