Ald. Clare Kelly Appointed To National League Of Cities Member Council

EVANSTON, IL — The National League of Cities announced the appointment of 1st Ward Evanston Ald. Clare Kelly to its 2023 University Communities Council.

One of eight NLC member councils, the group is made up of municipal officials from towns with colleges and universities within their borders or within an adjacent municipality.

“Our member councils give voice to what’s happening on the ground in our communities,” said NLC President Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, Washington.

The council meets in person twice annually — at the League's Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C., in March and at City Summit in November.

“I am proud to have Council Member Kelly join NLC's University Communities Council," Woodards said, announcing the appointment. "Together with a team of local leaders from around the country, we will work to address the toughest challenges facing our communities and ensure that America’s cities, towns and villages have the resources they need to thrive.”

Kelly, the presiding alderperson of the Evanston City Council's Northwestern University-City Committee, has pushed for establishing a task force to develop a way to secure a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, from the tax-exempt private university.

Kelly is set to serve a one-year term developing and guiding programs with local officials from other similar communities. The council is chaired by College Park, Maryland, Mayor Patrick Wojahm, with vice chairs from Rochester, Minnesota, and Athens, Georgia.

“I am honored to be appointed to serve on the NLC’s University Communities Council," Kelly said in a statement. "I look forward to collaborating with municipal officials from across the nation to find creative solutions to the unique challenges that our university communities face."