We asked people what they’d do if they became their ward’s alderperson for a week. Here’s what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
“Push to trim bushes in alleys, have abandoned properties properly secured so homeless people can’t enter and set up shelter. … Town hall meetings are nice, but there are some elders that can’t navigate those, so set up an elderly roster and check in with them regularly to see if they need assistance.”
— Faye Johnson
“Approve every building upzoning request.”
— Jean Gabon
“Sweep. Everywhere and everything. And then sweep some more.”
— Rantes Solo (25th Ward)
“Do a listening tour. Probably door-to door-canvassing to hear perspective. Drive my ward to see what I see. Look over small business requests and licensing requests, figure out who owns uncared-for lots and properties, arrange meetings with the ward elementary and high schools.”
— Karen Calloway
“Give all my relatives jobs and take four-hour lunch breaks.”
— Jeff Hornstein
“Make sure every business in the 19th Ward is paying their taxes. Fine businesses that don’t keep up their properties. Talk to homeowners about abandoned properties on their blocks and whether they’d like to purchase them or try to get a grant for them.”
— Wanda Lu Pip Russell
“Free parking after 5 p.m. and before 6 a.m. and on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.”
— Kevin Kitchen
“Complain to the other aldermen/women on how their communities are affecting mine. Watch the zoning for the backdoor policies.”
— Marti Nease
“Lobby for side streets to be resurfaced. It’s not enough to just fill the potholes.”
— Velda Brunner
“Accelerate the schedule for taking down dead and damaged trees before they are downed by storms.”
— Bobby Veejay Marley
“Tax the greedy corporations. And end the corrupt TIF system.”
— Phillip Bernal
“Install real, protected bike lanes on side streets that follow major arterial roads. … Paint is not infrastructure.”
— Rodi Coderage
“Fix all of the broken sidewalks in the 50th Ward.”
— David Blatt
“Change the no parking/tow zones back to the free parking that was there before on LaSalle Street.”
— Aleece Feldberg
“Resign. Politics makes strange bedfellows.”
— Brown Mike