2023 Chicago Runoff Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

The 45th ward is experiencing a fundamental lack in leadership in city council. I am running to give back to the community that helped my family for years while my spouse battled cancer. After he passed away in October 2019, I felt an even stronger calling to serve this community. I want to bring leadership and transparent governing that serves everyone in the 45th ward. I have the skill set to be an effective alderman and I have the passion to build a vision for the ward that brings a renewed wave of ideas and momentum to the neighborhood and efficiency to the ward office.

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

When I first started my campaign in 2021, I thought I would hear at the doors that the incumbent has an adequate rating for constituent services. However, as time went on, resident complaints increased, and more scandal spilled from the aldermanic office. The ward superintendent became a lightning rod for controversy, and even after he was arrested and finally fired, the next superintendent did not stay long. The office turnover has negatively impacted any initial successes on constituent services.

As I touched upon above, the current Alderman’s office has failed to provide the leadership that 45th ward constituents deserve. The lack of productivity, perception and operation of the alderman's office has been severely impacted by ongoing leadership issues and public controversies that are near constant from the office. Confidence in government has been impacted. The ability to get things done for residents has been impacted.

Since the arrest of the ward superintendent, we have been without an adequate replacement for months and the incumbent is mired in controversies and lawsuits. Residents don't feel heard or respected. As alderman, I will commit to transparency, inclusivity, and community voice.

The ward suffers from a long stretch of commercial vacancies and no plan exists for stabilizing or growing small businesses. Milwaukee Avenue, and its businesses, has been left behind. I have developed a Milwaukee Avenue Business Corridor Plan that includes establishing the northwest side’s first Small Business Development Center.

Community relations with the current office has been eroded. The public lacks confidence in the office. I have a plan to bring back mechanisms to restore community input and participation.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

Public safety is one of the most pressing issues for our residents. We need to take a practical approach to our public safety issues. I have spent more than 100 hours interviewing officers and residents on safety issues. We need to focus on initiatives that rebuild trust between the police and communities they serve. We also need to utilize data from studies on crime reduction to implement strategies that have an impact on a short term and a long-term basis.

Furthermore, we need to invest in communities that have been historically disadvantaged, and fund programs to keep kids focused on activities and school. We need to strengthen community policing so neighbors and local businesses know their local officers and can help be part of the solution of fighting crime, and building trust between the police and the communities they serve.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

I will establish a system that encourages public participation and feedback for all 45th ward issues and projects. I started that process in 2021 with an 8-month listening tour, community roundtables and hundreds of hours of meetings with community members. I've also committed to a process to include community members in decision making.

Do you believe in the tradition of aldermanic prerogative, which gives each City Council member the final say on issues in their ward?

There is some movement away from aldermanic prerogative, for good reason. While I think the alderman’s office should be able to expedite certain projects like business licensing, signs and the like, there is also opportunity for abuse by some aldermen if they retain prerogative. We have experienced this abuse of power in the 45th ward so I believe we need an open and transparent process for public participation and feedback.

Should the $1.9 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department increase, stay the same or decrease?

The current budget should be maintained and should include funding for research and development to modernize the police force. Our officers should have better training and the necessary tools to keep dangerous criminals off the street.

Should the city raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for more than $1 million to fund programs to help unhoused Chicagoans?

This issue is very personal to me. In 2019, after my spouse passed from cancer, I took in a young man that was experiencing houselessness and food insecurity. He lived with me for 10 months and I helped him get a doctor for a surgery he needed, taught him to drive and helped him get to college. I support initiatives like the Bring Home Chicago proposal, to institute a progressive property transfer tax as a means of creating funding to combat homelessness.

However, my ward suffers from significant vacant property and other disinvestment issues, so I would like to see a study on the impact, if any, these initiatives would have on our ward. Far too often legislation gets passed without studying unintended consequences. I would prefer a measured and studied approach.

Should the city open and operate mental health clinics to provide free care to Chicagoans?

Yes. Mental health care services are vital to any community and based on my work with domestic violence and the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, I know that Chicago is underserved in this regard. We cannot expect police officers, who often do not have sufficient training, to deal with mental health crises. Meanwhile, residents generally lack alternatives.

I support initiatives, like Treatment not Trauma, because programs like these put resources in the hands of mental health professionals to provide individuals the help they need; not by reacting to the symptoms of mental health challenges, but by addressing the root causes. Making mental health services more accessible is an important part of keeping the city safe for its residents.

How should Chicago build the 120,000 homes it needs for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans?

There is a policy that is available only to downtown developers which allows the developer to have a reduced assessment for a short term if the development includes workforce housing — housing that can be lived in by people with 60% of the area median income (AMI). This proposal should be expanded to allow developments across the city provide workforce housing, which also matches the neighborhood’s AMI figures.

What do you see as potential solutions to address the number of shootings in Chicago?

Some potential solutions include:
— Focusing on response times.
— Identifying innovative techniques and tools for more effective policing.
— Ensuring that resources are applied in a fair and equitable manner.
— Support for officers in terms of mental health and work conditions.
— Improve retention of officers and increase recruitment of candidates.
— State of the art training and de-escalation techniques.
— Removing tasks from the police that do not require a police response like calls regarding illegally parked vehicles and mental health crisis calls.
— Development of a system to sort 911 calls and re-route non-police responses (or CSOs).
— Launching a CSO (community service officer) pilot program and assessing its viability.

Should the city do more to encourage residents to live close to where they work and shop by building dense multi-unit apartment complexes near transportation hubs?

Generally speaking, density near transportation hubs makes sense.  However, I also think the development needs to take into consideration the views of the surrounding neighbors as well, so it should not be a one-size-fits-all solution. Each neighborhood should have a voice in the process.

Should the city prioritize the construction of bicycle lanes and encourage people to use bicycles to commute to work?

Multiple modes of transportation make the city more livable for more people. The first step in this process, however, is to make the bike lanes safer. Two bikers have been killed near my house on Milwaukee Avenue. Both deaths could have been avoided if better protections had been in place. Again, I would like to see a study on the alternatives available and the process necessary to implement.

Should city employees continue to be required to live in Chicago?

I would like to see a study of what the impact would be if this was not a requirement. For example, does this make more/better officers available to the Chicago Police Department?  I do not know the answer to this but would like to explore this as an alternative. Would this result in too many people leaving the city?

I believe employees should be given flexibility as that leads to better workplace happiness and productivity. I also think we should evaluate whether the employees want this restriction lifted.