To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for alderman. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Name: Froylan “Froy” Jimenez
Ward: 11th
Current job: (High School Civics Teacher at Hancock HS) Chicago Public Schools
Previous political experience: Elected Citywide to the Local School Council Advisory Board (LSCAB) advisory to the Chicago Board of Education Teacher Representative, Local School Council at Hancock HS Chief of Staff, Illinois State Senator Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Legislative Issues and Communication Staff, Speaker Michael J. Madigan, Illinois House of Representatives (Springfield and Chicago Office) Co-Chair Chicago Teachers Union Political Action and Legislative Committee Executive Board Member, Chicago Teachers Union
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs, Marquette University; Master’s Degree in Public Administration, University of Liverpool, Master’s degree in Education, National Louis University
Spouse’s occupation: N/A
Sources of outside income: I am also the Head Girls Basketball Coach at the High School I work at and have been coaching in CPS my entire teaching career.
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Day Fire Tv Deals 2026
The rise in violent crime remains a top priority for City Hall. Homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. Tell us how city government can be innovative in combating crime, and explain what measures you would propose if elected.
The Chicago Police Department should not be forced to repeatedly send police officers to serve the public knowing full well that its members are not properly rested. Proper time-off for CPD personnel improves their quality of service as there is no profession that improves customer service by overworking and underappreciating its employees. Proper rest save lives: the lives of civilians who would get the benefit of rested officers in better condition to do their job and the lives of officers who may be completely burned out and lack the time to receive the proper mental health help. Proper rest and appropriate staffing levels saves Chicago taxpayers money in the long term and would reduce lawsuits while ensuring that response times to 911 emergency calls are attended to in a timely manner. I wholeheartedly support any city ordinance that protects Chicago police officers and other first responders from excessive work hours that jeopardize public safety and deny workers the respect and dignity we all deserve. In addition, I would be very vocal in amending current policing policies around foot chases in a way that balances accountability for both officers and criminal suspects, so that victims of a crime can see their perpetrators apprehended, arrested and brought to justice. Our city needs to allow police officers to be able to do their job without imposing unreasonable restrictions on them. Lastly, public safety accountability should be holistic accountability that is not limited to policing but equally demand justice from the Cook County States Attorney’s office in properly prosecuting violent offenders and not releasing dangerous suspects that could do more harm. I believe in teamwork and look forward to working in collaboration with the new Public Safety commission and teaming up with the elected district council members of the 9th Police District to find local solutions to improve public safety in the 11th ward and surrounding area.
The CTA, one of the nation’s largest transit systems, remains a troubled agency grappling with issues ranging from violent crime and ghost buses and trains, to flagging ridership. Give us your thoughts on what specific measures CTA should take to make train and bus service safer, more reliable and more equitable for Chicagoans.
It’s a poor use of taxpayer money to use private security firms to patrol the CTA especially if it’s done inefficiently. I ride the Orange line and Red lines and from personal experience I can tell you the private security firms need more training, professionalism and if they are going to be K9 patrols than they need to actually use dogs. Often these private safety workers are without any dogs, not patrolling and refuse to act when they recognize rider risk or possible threats. A more efficient tactic would be to use more undercover police officers that have greater training and the capacity to actually do something besides report a crime in progress. These undercover teams should ride the cars and be supplemented with uniformed officers all across CTA lines.
Ten years ago, enrollment at Chicago Public Schools was 403,000 students. In September, enrollment stood at 322,000 students. Enrollment at CPS has dropped for 11 consecutive years. What specific measures should CPS undertake to reverse the trend of ever-dwindling enrollment?
I’m a teacher by trade and coach that does his job for the love of the game. I believe education at all levels should not be a zero-sum game where some win and some lose. We all pay taxes and all our families and neighbors should have access to a good education no matter what neighborhood, parent’s income, or ethnic/background. I support public education because I live it and love it by first experience but also support families that choose to send their kids to a catholic or charter schools. I’m a big proponent of expanding trade schools for high school students in Chicago so they can reap the benefits of union trades and less college debt. Dunbar High School is currently the only Chicago High School to offer a comprehensive citywide trades program (including general construction; carpentry; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); welding; and electricity) for high school students preparing graduates for the workforce with an alternative to the traditional college route which paves the way for well paid careers with the trades unions and reduces the amount of debt young people are left with in their first years after high school. I would expand the “Construction Trades Campus” at Dunbar to other areas of the city that want viable and necessary career alternatives specifically in areas where there is low enrollment.
Now that the Chicago Board of Education has approved to move forward with a Near South Side high school it should go further to include planning of a CPS campus component at the proposed Discovery Partners Institute (DPI). Besides the the new high school proposal, CPS officials should consider taking advantage that the new DPI headquarters in the nearby 78 development is precisely designed to offer research, technology, and skilled innovation opportunities and whose mission is to recruit young talent. It’s only natural that if this 78 development is going to be an ecosystem of innovation. As Alderman, I would push for there to be a component of this campus to be dedicated to teaching Chicago Public School STEM students and provide a vertical recruiting process that taps into our own Chicago youth’s talents.
Disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades-long problem with myriad causes. Give us at least one innovative idea that you believe could play a role in reversing South and West side disinvestment, and explain why the idea is realistic and feasible.
I’m an advocate of creating and fostering local chambers of commerce that can have a direct influence economic development plans while at the same time not ever misusing Tax Increment Financing districts again. I advocate bringing in new small businesses that add value to our neighborhoods as opposed to problematic business tenants that attract more crime and danger. I look forward to recruiting and attracting more banks and financial investors that will promote economic development that allows for retail opportunities where our neighbors can have better shopping options and choice as well as businesses that offer local jobs with good pay and benefits. I am staunchly in opposition of the use of TIF districts without the input and consent of the taxpayers and residents of the area, such as the recent approval of the Red Line Expansion TIF district which will unfairly bring tax burdens on neighborhoods for 35 years and whose affected residents won’t see benefits from their tax contributions. This an abuse of power and I would call for hearings on the abuse of TIFs across Chicago.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
One of my top priorities has been and will continue to “Help Taxpayers”. I am committed to ending excessive taxes on overburdened Chicago taxpayers who can least afford it including no more regressive taxes, ridiculous fees, or ticketing schemes that punish Chicago residents. I commit to finding solutions that provide fair property tax formulas that halt tax breaks to insiders that are connected. We need to stop punishing average people and small businesses. I oppose the squeezing out of Chicagoan’s hard earned money by Red Light cameras and I oppose the creation of Tax Increment Financing districts without comprehensive community input and oppose taxpayers in our neighborhoods being taxed for projects they won’t benefit from (such as the case with the Red Line extension TIF recently passed by our current 11th Alderman). In addition, I am against using our tax dollars to pay for give away programs like Guaranteed Income program Mayor Lightfoot created that gives $500 monthly checks away with no strings attached and causes increases in inflation, creates work shortages, understaffing and discourages people from earning a living.
Give us your take on the city’s use of tax increment financing districts. Do you feel they have been useful, or do you feel that the problems associated with them outweigh their usefulness? What if any reforms would you want to apply to the city’s usage of TIFs?
Unfortunately, for many Chicago taxpayers and residents Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts will be a longtime tax burden with no added services or benefits. It’s insulting to hear people bring up the vision of Red line extension by the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and how Mayor Lori Lightfoot finally “delivered” on getting the Red Line extended by way of the newly approve TIF. How can anyone consider the Red line Extension TIF as mass transit “fairness” when only 5 out of 50 wards will be on the hook for paying $959 million in a way that drains their tax dollars from their local communities and for an unusual extended period of time. Alderwoman Pat Dowell (3rd) who voted No on the Red line Extension TIF said it best, “When you take TIF money from one neighborhood and spend it in another, it really feels like theft.. Because these benefits are citywide, everyone should have skin in the game of paying for this project.” She is correct. The proposal of extending the Red line south to 130th Street is a much needed transit project, yet the financing was unreasonable and harsh on taxpayers in the 3rd, 4th, 11th, 25th and 42nd wards. At a time when city and state public officials promote “equity” and “fairness”, this Red Line Extension TIF does the exact opposite and fails in its attempt to empower a south side community by damaging the tax base of another part of the south side that will be left empty handed. A better and more appropriate financing method would have been to have all 50 wards contribute to the extension of the Red line and demand aid in financing the plan from our state officials and our Governor. There is no question that Chicago needed to take advantage of the matching federal funds offered in this project but to squeeze the balance from a few neighborhoods that won’t be directly affected was the wrong move and it will have negative economic consequences on the residents and local businesses of those 5 wards for years to come. The new Red line Extension TIF is definitely historical, but regrettably for the wrong reasons as an example of how to misuse Tax Increment Financing districts and how Chicago taxpayers can be forced to pay millions for services and improvements from which they will never benefit.
Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for the city. It is estimated that in Chicago there are roughly 400,000 homes and small apartment buildings with lead service lines. So far, the city has replaced less than 300 lead service lines. Do you feel the pace of lead service line replacement should be expedited, and if yes, what is the best, most feasible way to accomplish that?
As a CPS teacher it was both alarming and upsetting to read accounts of the delays, mismanagement, and lack of communication and improvised lead contamination safeguards at CPS schools. More specifically, how, when, where and who is being tested for lead exposure and risk? What are the various mechanisms to report possible lead contamination in CPS schools and ensure response in a timely manner? What are all the safety protocols that related to lead contamination in schools and what if any need to be revised to be more effective at prevention? What training is provided by CPS on this issue to make sure all stakeholders are aware and can be proactive in the process?
Local School Councils know their school building best and have safety committees in place to identify and report safety concerns in their classrooms and around the school. It only makes sense to empower each CPS school with the ability to be an active player in all aspects of school safety including possible lead exposure. Testing should be coordinated and publicized by school administrators and LSC members at their respective school grounds. Students and staff should be tested at school instead of making them go somewhere else and have students and teachers miss class or parents miss work. Safety courses in lead exposure should be available as part of professional development and training should be holistic. There should be a plan for remediation of a building or classrooms at risk both during school breaks when students and staff are out but also plans for how to deal with immediate risks when classes are taking place so that students and staff are not affected by identified contamination areas or harmed by delays in the system protocols.
Our children stand to benefit when preventative safety plans are made in collaboration which in this cases is best exemplified by local school councils in conjunction with central office CPS officials.
More Top Picks Ring Battery Doorbell
If you are an incumbent, please explain what is it about your service on the City Council that makes you most qualified for the job. If you have never served on the council, please explain what is it about your background that makes you most qualified.
As a High School Civics teacher my life revolves around staying informed, teaching about good government, how to positively get involved in our communities, and finding solutions to the problems that plague our neighborhoods.
As someone with Springfield legislative experience that’s worked in our state’s capital, a union member and citywide elected Local School Council Board member I have been outspoken and critical of Mayor Lightfoot’s public policies, her lack of leadership, her inefficient administration and the decisions made by her choice to be our voice in the Chicago City Council.
I’m not afraid to say it like it is and it is precisely my Independent positions to prioritize our community instead of those that are connected and with insider clout that distinguishes me from all the rest. My courage to speak on behalf of what so many taxpayers and residents feel is unfair that makes me the Alderman that our ward needs. My public record speaks for itself as someone that is independent, well-informed, outspoken, fair, and with the courage to stand up to anyone in order to protect and prioritize the wellbeing of all our neighborhoods.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Corruption and preferential treatment to those that are connected and unfair services to others is a problem we must correct and that will get turned around when I take office. No more feeling like some areas of the 11th ward are second best and no more neighborhoods or blocks which feel people feel forgotten. I come from a humble background where being fair is essential and public service is for all not just a few who have clout. Residents in Canaryville, Armour Square, McKinley Park, Chinatown and Bridgeport will all get city services and it does not matter if your live on the east, west, north of south of the ward, all will be included and 11th Ward constituents will have priority not those with clout. I look forward to have a Ward office that is accessible to all, linguistic services that accommodate all communities and community forums and townhalls on relevant topics that affect us all. As an Independent Alderman that does not favor Democrats, Republicans, party bosses or Union bosses but rather people of the 11th Ward, I look forward to using my time and experience teaching civics and good government to lead our neighborhoods in a way that is fair and effective for all.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
In Froy Jimenez you will have an Alderman that is not a “Yes Man” or rubber stamp for anyone. My record confirms that I’m an Independent thinker that has the courage to stand up to powerful forces including the Mayor of Chicago, Governor of Illinois, CTU Union President, and others when they act opposite of the best interest of Chicago taxpayers, parents, and students. I will be a vocal champion of the average Chicagoan that wants both critique of bad public decisions but also attention and ability to collaborate on common sense solutions to help our neighborhoods and our city move forward.