2023 Chicago Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I am running for three primary reasons. First, I believe my unique personal background will allow me to represent all of the 5th Ward effectively on day one. The 5th Ward is a diverse and complex ward. It is also a microcosm of the City. I embody that microcosm. My mother is Black African American. My father was an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia. I was born in Hyde Park but raised in Roseland. I graduated on the Dean's list from UofC, despite being the first in my immediate family to go to college. Growing up in Roseland, I know the challenges facing parts of the 5th ward firsthand.

Being a Hyde Parker and UofC alumna, I also know the opportunities and privileges in this ward. My hope is that everyone in the ward sees that I can relate to them and understand their specific needs. I am committed to finding ways to bring all parts of the ward together. Second, I bring unmatched professional experience to this race. I have decades of experience working with diverse stakeholders on a broad range of topics, including as Chief Engagement Officer for the City and as Chief Equity Officer for YWCA Chicago. I am also the only candidate in the race who has served in elected office before.

Governing is not the same skill set as organizing or advocacy. I know how to find common ground and balance competing legitimate interests, which is the first step to finding "win-win" solutions. I also have decades of experience navigating complex government bureaucracies and getting things done -- including tapping into and braiding federal, state, local and philanthropic funding streams to support community efforts. I also know how to resist falling prey to easy short term solutions that may not lead to the best long term outcomes. Finally, I recognize the unique opportunity facing this new Council Council. About one-third of its members will be new.

Collectively, we have a real chance of improving the way our city is governed. To seize this moment, the 5th ward needs an Alderman who is not new to the political and policy arena. This is not an entry level job. The needs of the ward and the city are too urgent for long learning curves. Everything in my background and experience has prepared me to serve all parts of the 5th Ward well, beginning on day one.

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

First, Alderwoman Hairston has a remarkable and accessible staff, starting with Kim Webb, her Chief of Staff. I candidly hope that even after Alderwoman Hairston retires, some her staff might want to stay on and continue to serve the people of the 5th ward. What has made me a bit sad on the campaign trail, however, is a kind of tension between the community areas that make up the 5th Ward. As the new Alderman representing the 5th ward, I would work hard to ensure that all 5 community areas felt that we are "in this together." No part of the ward should feel ignored or forgotten. I've heard this in Greater Grand Crossing, which is one of the smaller parts of the Ward. But I have also heard this from Hyde Parkers, who have expressed the sense that because it is a large and empowered community area, they feel left to their own devices.

The new Alderman has to be the Alderman for ALL the 5th Ward. Every single community must feel respected.

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

Too many constituents feel afraid and so we must acknowledge public safety as the most pressing issue. But addressing it requires short term fixes and long term solutions. In the short term, I believe we have to decrease police response time and speed up the legal process so those who break the law know they will be held accountable. This means hiring more police officers and prosecutors. The sense of wild west lawlessness that has taken root is a problem, even when it comes to driving recklessly on DuSable Lake Shore Drive and other city streets.

I think we need to take the "broken window"/"nip crime in the bud" approach on reckless driving and start writing more citations. As long as there is no consequence for driving 90 mph on DuSable LSD, people will do it. Longer term, and on a parallel track, we must address economic disenfranchisement, which in my opinion is the root cause of all the root causes of violence. Lack of jobs and hope, trauma and despair, housing and food insecurity, the achievement gap, healthcare gap, and life expectancy gap -- all trace back to the wealth gap. I propose the following programs: 1) we need a transformational jobs program as ambitious as Invest South West. It is not enough to empower local minority businesses and developers -- which is the heart of ISW. The people in the community need jobs with wages and benefits that can support their families.

I proposed a pilot program while in the Mayor's office that would give residents of communities in Chicago with the highest unemployment and poverty rates a priority in city hiring. There are hundreds of vacancies in the City. These jobs are a proven pathway to the middle class and we have to open this pipeline. The pilot program also included wrap around support services to help with "soft skills" and retention and also gave participants time to get certificates or degrees to advance their careers. We also must increase African American participation in the construction trade unions. On city construction jobs, data shows that only about 10% of positions went to African Americans. We need to restore trades education in our high schools but we also need unions to make their membership process and training programs more transparent and accessible. Too many centers are in far flung places. We need more facilities in the city like IBEW in Bronzeville.

I would also provide more robust support to non-profit led programs like READI, that supports young men who are most likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence and gives them jobs and guidance. We need to find a way to support the formerly incarcerated and reduce the barriers that block their return to full participation in society. Most people want to do right. But if there is no pathway, you've set them up for failure. We need to address the Black male achievement gap in CPS. I am a former teacher. When kids don't feel they can master their school work, they look for other ways to prove mastery of something. That's often not positive.

We need supervised safe places where our kids can be kids. This isn't about our organized programs per se. This is about creating venues on holidays like Halloween or New Years where kids feel safe and come together. Most of us took for granted that we had these social opportunities growing up.

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

First, from a physical perspective, I would want to locate it in a fairly central location that is accessible by public transit and also has adequate parking. In addition, I would ensure that my office had a policy of returning all calls or responding emails within 24 hours, even if it is to say, I need to look into this and will need a bit more time. I also would like to have drop-in "office hours" one evening per week.

I would also create a 5th Ward Advisory Council, with representatives from each precinct plus other key stakeholders like the various neighborhood chambers of commerce. We would meet on a monthly basis. Finally, monthly newsletter would be sent out to all constituents and include a comprehensive list of opportunities relevant to the ward.

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

I understand the importance of Aldermanic prerogative and would defend it. I certainly would expect to be consulted before any development or action impacting my ward was undertaken. But I also believe that the scope and use of Aldermanic prerogative could be considered by the City Council, but not as an edict from the Mayor.

I believe that City Council should be viewed as a true co-governor of our City. While Alderman must protect and advocate for their ward, an absolute veto power over matters in their ward could interfere with larger citywide goals. Perhaps City Council members could consider a "work around" for Aldermanic prerogative similar to overriding a legislative veto. But again, any adjustment to Aldermanic prerogative, in my view, would need to originate in City Council.

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

We need to the right budget for a well trained and fully staffed police department that shifts the number of police in community versus behind the desk, reduces overtime, demilitarizes police presence, reimagines community policing, increases victim services, and clears cold cases. I doubt this means reducing the budget but it does not mean we must increase it. I would like for the police budget to be more transparent. Discussion of the police budget is looped into overall budget engagement. I think it would be worthwhile to have engagements in community just on the police budget. The community needs to know what is being spent on what and where.

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

We need a solution to helping unhoused Chicagoans. If all other options have been exhausted, then I support tax increases. What I don't want to foster is a situation where this tax feels punitive -- as though Chicagoans with valuable homes are enemies of poor people. And there is a tinge of that among advocates for this proposal.

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

I admire Dr. Alison Arwady at CDPH. I believe the experts in her department expressed concerns with re-opening the city operated clinics that were closed by Rahm Emmanuel. CDPH thought that an alternative approach partnering with respected community organizations in the space would be a better delivery option. I'm not sure that this approach has worked out as expected. Over the past two years, there was an historic and unprecedented 6000 percent increase in funding for mental health programs. However, my experience in the community is that for some reason, this dramatic increase in funding is not being felt. And so, I would want us to revisit the question of re-opening city run mental health clinics.

Whatever way we deliver these critical services to community, they must feel accessible to the community. There is some kind of disconnect. If re-opening city run clinics makes the community feel like it can more readily access the services, I would support re-opening them.

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

There is beautiful housing stock in this city that is sitting vacant and creating blight. Before building new homes, I would want the city to undertake the cost benefit analysis of rehabbing vacant apartment buildings the south and west sides. We also should explore repurposing some of our schools. I know that asbestos abatement and other infrastructure problems can make rehabbing more expensive than new construction or could even be prohibitive for environmental reasons. But I think we need to look hard at this reuse issue and recognize the extra cost is because the program is not just providing housing, it is helping remove blighted property from the community.

We also need to consider building city owned single room occupancy suites. These "hotels" are disappearing but we could recreate something like this so that those experiencing housing insecurity have a safe place they can call their own. I would also want us to look into turning vacant lots into "tiny home" communities. The tent communities we see are basically this. We could build more substantial structures with good sanitation and better heat.

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

We need to work with our federal partners and other states first and foremost to get the illegal guns off our streets. We need to figure out what is going on at the Norfolk Southern Railroad yard in Englewood where train cars full of guns have apparently gone missing. And we need to aggressively prosecute people who have committed crimes using guns. Finally, if the recently passed assault weapon ban does not withstand Supreme Court challenges, I think Illinois should lead the nation in calling for a repeal of the Second Amendment.

Should Promontory Point be designated as a city landmark?

Yes. I have a close working relationship with members of the Promontory Point Conservancy and was working on "saving the Point" before I decided to run for office.

Should city officials put protections in place to prevent gentrification spurred by the Obama Presidential Center in South Shore?

I do not want to stop "gentrification." I want to put policies and safeguards in place that allow for balanced and equitable development. We need to preserve affordable housing and we also need to protect current home owners from sharp property tax increases. However, some of these long term property owners are excited to be able to reap the benefits of their housing investment -- like others have been doing all over the city.

We also need to increase homeownership in South Shore. Less than a quarter of residents own their homes there. This distortion in owner vs renter and affordable vs market rate housing has made South Shore vulnerable to the exploitation by developers that we see today. I support the creation of a balanced housing ecosystem, with a healthy mix of affordable and market rate housing, which is key to building a thriving community. I want every Chicagoan to be able to live in a thriving community -- including in South Shore.

Should city officials do more to protect trees in Jackson Park from being uprooted?

We cannot cut down any more trees in Jackson Park. I support the OPC but admit to feeling gut punched the day all the trees came down. We cannot let that happen again. Many of the communities in the 5th ward have very high rates of respiratory illnesses. Housing is disproportionately placed between major thoroughfares like Stony Island and Jeffery. The trees help provide clean air in these communities. We have to treat them like the treasures that they are.

What steps should the city take to prevent Chicago’s shoreline from eroding further?

We need to work with experts at all levels of government, including the Army Corps of Engineers. But we also have to be sure that the Corps does not exaggerate the erosion risks, for example at Promontory Point. The Point is not eroding. The limestone revetment is in disrepair because it has not been maintained for decades. We need to restore and maintain it.