2023 Chicago Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I am running to improve the current state of our ward, lead by example, and to support an equitable city for all to prosper. The 43rd Ward needs leadership with a proven track record of collaborating with neighbors to complete projects, being a real supporter of our schools, and an advocate for our senior community. I promise to be someone who will work to take on the issues of public safety, alternatives to property tax hikes and innovative strategies towards business development.

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

I think this office does a good job focusing on constituent concerns but we really need to focus on TIF reform.

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

From talking to voters in the 43rd Ward, crime is clearly the top concern amongst my community. As alderperson I will push for more investments in youth prevention programs, introduce stronger ordinances against violent crimes, increase training modules for officers, and focus on recruitment/cadet retention.

I will work with the 18th and19th district commanders to bring back the beat cop. With this, I promise to walk the beat with officers, leading by example. There is no way for me to understand the issues plaguing our streets without walking them in order to see for myself.

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

If possible, I plan to have my office open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. so constituents have the opportunity to get in contact with our office after they get off work. There will be no remote work. All staffers will be mandated to work from the office. I also plan to establish precinct captains that meet bi-weekly, and weekly office hours dedicated to constituents voicing their concerns. 

My office will always be accessible to constituents. 

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 am in favor of this city tradition. Why would we want someone who isn’t from the ward dictating what happens in our neighborhood? It simply does not make sense for politicians from across the city to dictate how we live our lives despite not even living in our neighborhoods. While understanding why you would want to take away aldermanic prerogative, I do not believe it is effective for someone other than the alderman of the 43rd Ward to have the final say of what happens here.

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

We need to find better ways to reallocate these funds. There are simply better ways to disperse this money among different city departments and services in order to cater to the different needs of constituents. Prime example: In situations of mental crisis it would be better to have a well funded mental health services wing of the CPD come in and calm the situation. The average police officer should not have to deal with situations they are not trained to handle, highlighting the need to fund alternative departments

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

The amount of money that would have to be added on that the seller would have to pay is way too much. We pay a lot in property taxes, and this is simply another tax burden being put on 43rd Ward constituents. We need to find alternative ways to allocate and use funds and avoid unnecessary taxes that only hurt our community members.

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

Yes. We would be mindful of how programs can be funded, clinicians being compensated appropriately and appropriate clinical licensing. Accessible locations for all Chicagoans and/or close to public transit or have SCR transport options. Clinics should be able to offer outpatient and intensive outpatient programs as well as substance abuse counselors. Clinics being in network with all major insurance companies, medicaid and MMAIs. Sliding scale and pro bono should be offered as well.

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

We need to find ways to incentivize developers to build affordable housing. Affordable housing could to be built in empty lots within the city, however most of these empty lots are on the south and west sides of the city. There are simply no incentives for these developers to go into these depleted and/or affluent areas and build up. As alderman, I plan to work with community members and other alderpersons to incentivize developers to build affordable housing throughout Chicago.

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

While we can't arrest our way out of this, we need Cook County to step in and really prosecute criminal offenders. We also need to find ways to put pressure on manufacturers to make it more difficult to fire a gun than to open a phone.

As I have learned throughout my career as an after school programmer, it is important to also catch these offenders when they are young by providing them with resources to find alternatives to a criminal lifestyle. We also need to focus on economic opportunity, health care, jobs and affordable housing to combat this issue. Let's put a pen, microphone, a video camera and/or encourage them to pick up a trade before someone else puts a gun in their hands.

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? 

Yes, we need to develop around our transit so people have access to the city's other resources. By providing people with easy access to transportation, business owners will see more foot traffic from around the city and create more economic opportunities as well as create a new tax base. The flow of funds and resources will not be limited to specific neighborhoods like they are today.

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

Yes, there are a lot of reasons why we need less cars on the street. There are the obvious climate and health related reasons as to why more bikes on the street are a good thing. In addition to that, there are simply way too many bike and car related accidents occurring across the city. People should feel safe when riding their bike, and people also shouldn't fear a bike skipping a stop sign and colliding with them on their daily commute to work. Present and clear spaces for bikes to be able to move throughout the city are an obvious plus to the 43rd Ward.

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

Yes. I believe all city workers should be required to live in Chicago. It's not fair to all the unemployed Chicago residents searching for a job taken by people that live outside city limits. The cost of living in Chicago is more than our suburban neighbors and they should not be compensated as Chicago residents.