2023 Chicago Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I am running because I want to see my community get to the next level of increasing our quality of life. We have public safety issues that have rocked our citizenry. We have a declining tax base with a number of vacant properties (residential and commercial). We need to improve our schools where 9 of 19 CPS schools in the Ward are designated as "failing schools."

I have been working all across the City in many neighborhoods to eradicate blight, create jobs, transform communities, stabilize retail/commercial corridors, improve the housing conditions and work with our sister agencies to create amazing open spaces and increase the capacity of business chambers, neighborhood community development organizations and diverse stakeholders.

I want to do all that in the community where I live, play and worship. I have tackled these issues as part of my work life and our Ward needs a leader who can do this kind of work professionally on the FIRST DAY.

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

Historically, the office of Alderman has too high a burden placed on it. The Alderman has had to be every and all to/for the community. That expectation has not always been met by the office holder. I intend to meet and exceed the expectation because I am in-tune with what my community needs and requires. What is needed is an attentive leader who has a style that is interactive, engaging and cooperative. The Alderman must build trust and have a true and sincere "community first" mindset and vision for bringing residents, businesses and stakeholders together to build collaboration. That is what needs fixing.

Our 6th Ward community of neighborhoods is fractured and divided. We need a leader who can bring us together to face the difficult challenges that lie ahead.

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

While walking and talking to constituents, I have learned that we have many different concerns and issues. We have many different communities: Englewood, Chatham, West Woodlawn, West Chesterfield, West Chatham, Grand Crossing, Auburn Gresham and Park Manor. All have different interests, different people, different issues; but we are all unified in our most pressing needs; which is that we all desire to live in a more safe neighborhood. Public Safety by far is the #1 issue in the 6th Ward. I released my Public Safety plan which calls for 4 tenants to turning the tide from an unsafe neighborhood to a safe one:

1. REDUCE crime by working with CPD on innovative strategies to make our Ward safer. Our people are at constant danger because we have a lot of poorly lit areas and our residents suffer from insufficiently lighted streets.

2. REFORM violent offenders. We have to find more ways to work with this group of people, identify the root causes and develop true solutions that will be effective and sustainable.

3. RESTORE our neighborhoods to its past greatness. The 6th Ward features historic neighborhoods that have suffered from a past lack of investment, past local declining economy, past real estate bust that resulted in foreclosures and abandoned properties. All these issues have created an unsafe neighborhood. We will work to restore it by marketing our community in ways never before featured to drive investment and interest in an existing housing stock with homes ready to be moved into.

4. REINVEST in our local service providers who are working on anti-violence initiatives. We want to appropriate City funding directly to local actors in the Ward in all parts of our neighborhoods who know our people better than the big foundations working in our communities with non-local staff.

This would in certain ways, be a paradigm shift as we will be seeking to have dramatically different results. However, also while I have been listening to residents, during my town hall on this issue we learned that there are many other concerns that center our #ReadyDayOne Plan on addressing Public Safety FIRST.

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

While traditionally Aldermanic offices are centrally located in the Ward, because we have a dividing line between the east and west portions of our Ward (Dan Ryan), we will have two Ward offices. One in Englewood and the other in the Chatham area. This will allow our office to be very responsive to residents and provide them with services in real-time. Our goal is to be very accessible and utilize every tool possible to communicate with our residents, both in-person and electronically.

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

Yes, I believe in prerogative. The Alderman are elected to serve the interests of the residents and stakeholders who sent them to City Council. Therefore, they should know what's going on in the community. I am fortunate to have that knowledge and current real-time awareness of the 6th Ward due to my position as the neighborhood planner for the 6th Ward. I have knowledge of zoning, land use, TIF, current projects arriving/proposing to come into the Ward. Additionally, as a two-time elected LSC member, I am intimately knowledgeable about how CPS works. By allowing the Alderman final say on most things, the Alderman serves as the final community level of approval on what will be happening in the Ward.

The Alderman's support of Ordinances at City Council is the ultimate goal for the City.

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

While I believe that the CPD $1.9B budget is excessive and needs to be cut to a more reasonable level, I am not in favor of making those cuts to essential areas of CPD operations that would further reduce their ability to combat crime in Chicago.

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

No

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

Yes, we absolutely need to re-open and operate more mental health clinics in our City. While CDPH is doing an admirable job with the expansion of services provided to those suffering with mental illness (60,000 in FY22), we should do more. I am pleased that the City has exploded it's commitment to mental health treatment by funding 50 organizations Citywide and expanding the budget to $89M (FY23).

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

In order for the City to attain this goal of construction 120,000 new homes for low and moderate income Chicagoans, the Department of Housing, Buildings, Zoning, Planning and Construction and Permits (DOH, DOB, Zoning/DPD, DCAP) have to consider all types of homes under this aggressive plan. Modular homes, pre-fabricated homes, container homes, small homes and of course, homes constructed under the ADU Ordinance (passed in 2020). These housing types will be affordable for most eligible homebuyers.

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

1. We have to have a stronger deterrent to criminal behavior in Chicago/Cook County. We have been witnessing a dramatic increase in violent criminally accused individuals re-offending once released on Electronic Monitoring. We may need to reconsider the legal process that's creating this situation.

2. More gun buybacks in the City.

3. The banning of assault weapons (currently being litigated) 4. Addressing the root causes and actually establishing a private, A combination of any of these options may drive crime into a downward spiral.

Should the CTA reopen the Green Line train station at Racine?

While the Racine stop is located in the 16th Ward and a local community development organization is leading the charge for the re-opening of the station, the cost of the station project would be the major issue for all considering this proposal. The station is located in an active TIF District, but would most likely still need considerable funding from the US Department of Transportation to supplement.

The last time the City opened up a new station, was in 2012 (also on the Green line at Morgan Street). That cost was $38M (TIF and USDOT/Federal Transit Administration). If the justification can be made for a re-opening of the Racine station (density, increasing traffic, consumers visiting the Englewood community to destinations west of Halsted, etc.) then I would be open to supporting a planning study to examine the feasibility of re-opening the Racine station.

What should replace the shuttered Whole Foods grocery store?

The owner is obligated to replace the Whole Foods with a grocer. So according to the in-place agreement, a grocer is coming (Yellow Banana/Most likely Save-A-Lot), we have to accept the grocer and hopes that they provide a high level of quality service to the deserving residents of Englewood.