About the Candidate
Name: JuanPablo Prieto
Date of Birth: Dec. 7, 1985
Occupation: Director, Diversity Programs, Chicago Transit Authority
Political Experience: Although I have never held paid elected office, I have been involved with political campaigns my entire adult life. Beginning when I was 18, my dad brought me with him as we knocked doors for Gery Chico’s senate campaign. After my dad passed away in 2006, I honored him by volunteering on Miguel Del Valle’s campaign for mayor in 2011. I also worked on several campaigns on the northwest side beginning in 2014 including for Alderman Villegas and Representative Delgado. I was also elected to 2 terms as a Community Representative for the Northside College Prep Local School Council.
Political Party: Democrat
Website: JuanPabloPrieto.com
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am running to bring transparent and responsive representation and to improve the day-to-day life of residents of the 30th Ward and the City of Chicago. I hope to improve 30th Ward residents' lives by focusing on both City services and long-term investment and policies. I am a passionate public servant that has a public record advocating for and creating policies to create opportunities for small, minority-and-women-owned businesses and career-seekers in the construction industry. My strategies are meant to help address structural issues that lead to reactive measures. If we invest in our communities and provide residents with the proper resources, we can avoid having to address chronic issues in acute settings.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
We’ve knocked over 7,000 doors in the 30th ward and the thing we hear over and over is that residents feel ignored. As 30th Ward alderman, my number one priority will be my constituents and addressing their concerns.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
We've knocked on over 7,000 doors in the 30th ward to date, and the number one concern we hear from residents is public safety, most notably, crime and safe streets. There are short term and long term solutions to public safety and we need both to effectively address the concerns of the 30th Ward. First, we need to ensure that we have the appropriate levels of policing in the Ward and foster relationships between the police and residents to rebuild trust.
Police need to be held accountable for misconduct, and the police force needs more resources in the form of civilian positions to address issues that the police are not equipped to: mental health, substance abuse disorders, homelessness, all of which would benefit from a treatment-not-trauma service approach. If we are able to delegate tasks that the police force are currently responsible for to civilian positions, the police will have more time to focus on the work that they are trained for. Additionally, they will have a better work life balance, and avoid burnout and the associated mental health consequences. We also need to bring resources that address the root causes of crime including mental health services, food assistance, youth development programming, and good-paying jobs.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
First of all, I would establish weekly ward nights and monthly ward weekends where my office is open late and residents can stop in and talk to me, no appointment necessary. I would hold state of the ward addresses twice a year, and hold them in multiple areas of the ward. The 30th Ward is large and diverse both socio-economically and racially, and the concerns and needs of all residents need to be addressed equally. I would also have a large social media presence, so residents are able to communicate with me through multiple channels. I would also make every effort to have a fluent Spanish speaker and a fluent Polish speaker on staff.
Do you believe in the tradition of aldermanic prerogative, which gives each City Council member the final say on issues in their ward?
With Alderpersons being the most local form of government, they should be the most familiar with the needs of the communities they serve. Although they should not be the only voice in the decision-making process, their input should carry significant weight. That being said, with that privilege should come the responsibility of instituting participatory budgeting and zoning committees so Alderpersons can ensure they have community input with their recommendations.
Should the $1.9 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department increase, stay the same or decrease?
The CPD budget should stay the same but more of it needs to be allocated to civilian positions and there needs to be more oversight of police misconduct.
Should the city raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for more than $1 million to fund programs to help unhoused Chicagoans?
Yes, passing Bring Chicago Home should be a priority for the City.
Should the city open and operate mental health clinics to provide free care to Chicagoans?
Yes, access to no-cost mental health services should be a priority for the City.
How should Chicago build the 120,000 homes it needs for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans?
Chicago needs to increase the inventory of housing units in a responsible manner that does not displace current residents. We need to bring developers and the community to the table to ensure we set aggressive, yet attainable goals for affordable housing units within each development and that those goals are met. At the same time, we need to fill vacant storefronts with small businesses and bring better paying jobs to our residents. We must also bring experts and resources to help individuals in securing housing. Finally, the City must pass the Bring Chicago Home ordinance, which would create a tax on real estate sales of over $1 million to create a fund to address homelessness.
What do you see as potential solutions to address the number of shootings in Chicago?
We need to have the appropriate level of police presence in our neighborhoods and one way to do this is to free up police resources by hiring more civilian positions to respond to 911 calls involving mental health crises, substance use, and homelessness. We need our police officers out on the streets, getting to know the residents they serve and vice versa. More importantly, we need to be investing in our communities to address the root causes of crime. We need youth development programs, good paying jobs, affordable housing, and food assistance programs.
How can the city better serve Spanish-speaking residents?
The City needs to ensure that we have the resources and staff for Spanish-speaking residents to access services. In order to attract the talent needed to provide that, we need to incentivize having that skill by paying a higher salary for applicants that can display proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Spanish. We also need to attract talent that is not only bilingual, but bicultural to ensure that our policies and procedures meet their intended purpose. This strategy should be implemented for other languages, as well, proportionate to the percentage of the population of the City that speaks those languages.
Should the city do more to help undocumented immigrants?
Yes, the City should strive to help undocumented immigrants establish themselves here in order to create a better life for them and their families.
