About the Candidate
Name: Robert Murphy
DOB: Aug. 20, 1963
Family: Wife Veenu and daughter Neela
Occupation: Architect
Political Experience: 39th Ward Democratic Committeeman 2016 - Present
Website: murphyfor39.com
Candidate Statement
Hello, my name is Robert Murphy and I am running for Alderman of the 39th Ward.
I am a husband, a father and an architect. I am the Democratic Committeeman of the 39th Ward, elected in 2016, and I’ve been a leader in bringing greater transparency and accountability to our ward.
I have lived in Forest Glen for over a decade with my wife and daughter. I was the president of our neighborhood association; a founding member of the FAiR coalition fighting to reduce disruptive airplane noise, and a founding member of the JeffPark Farmers Market. I have been actively organizing in our community for almost 10 years. Since being elected Democratic Committeeman, I have taken on the machine and helped to defeat Joe Berrios and begin real reform in the corrupt property tax system. I am running to bring this same independent leadership to being your alderman; I will be an advocate for the community and for working families in our ward and will fight for services and resources be brought to our ward.
As our alderman I will:
-Fight for more investment in our neighborhoods; our schools; and our infrastructure.
-I will fight for government accountability and a fiscally responsible budget process; including initiating Participatory Budgeting in our ward to give you a say over how our property taxes are spent
-I will establish a community-driven, transparent process for economic development, including a zoning advisory board
-Create a responsive ward office that will be open and accessible
I have the experience; the track record of reform and independence; and I have a clear vision for the ward.
There's so much at stake in this election and I'm asking for your vote for 39th ward alderman. It would be an honor to serve our community and I hope to earn your support on Tuesday, February 26th.
Candidate Q&A
What is your vision for this office?
I am running to have an open, transparent, service-oriented ward office. As the Democratic Committeeman of the ward, I have instituted an open endorsement process that gives community residents a voice into who the ward organization supports. As a result, we endorsed progressives and independents like Fritz Kaegi instead of political insiders. I want to bring that same spirit to the ward office by reaching out to all parts of the ward to determine their needs for city services, helping residents and small local businesses cut through the red tape of city bureaucracy, and serving all parts of the ward.
What is the most pressing issue facing constituents, and how can you help address it?
Our city needs broad-based reforms in how we operate. We can no longer be a city that serves a few powerful interests at the expense of large numbers of residents. I support an elected representative school board; TIF reforms; progressive revenue measures to ease the burden on property taxes; and an economic development program that helps revive neighborhood businesses rather than just downtown.
