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: Silvana Tabares
Ward: 23rd
Current job: Alderman, City Council
Previous political experience: Illinois State Representative, 21st House District
Education: B.A. Broadcast Journalism, Columbia College Chicago
Spouse’s occupation: Chicago Police Officer
Sources of outside income: No sources of outside income
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.
Despite the skyrocketing lawlessness and the destruction wreaked upon downtown in the last years, the city has done little to bolster our police ranks, instead we are overseeing record numbers of retirements and young officers leaving the job. We need to incentivize officers for staying. As alderman, I have dedicated thousands of dollars from my menu account for new pod cameras and technologies to better equip my local district with the tools they need to better patrol our communities. We need to do this on a large scale by investing in technologies and equipment to bring our police department into the 21st Century.
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.
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The CTA is a vital resource that has deteriorated dramatically in the last few years. We need to get serious about safety on our trains and busses if we are to save the CTA. I support the creation of a police transit unit dedicated solely to protecting our transit system, rather than relying on a patchwork of CPD officers working overtime shifts and private security who are not trained or equipped to handle the types of crimes and violence we are seeing.
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?
Enrollment in CPS schools on the Southwest Side is strong because we tackle issues on a school-by-school basis in the 23rd Ward. I work directly with LSCs and principals to tackle issues related to funding for programs, repairs of infrastructure, and community engagement. Further, I regularly convene meetings between school leaders and our local CPD commander and CAPS officers to ensure a safe learning environment as possible for our children. Parents send their kids to a school that is lead from the ground up, not top down. They want to know that decisions are being made based on the realities faced in the classrooms and in the community. We have brought that model to local schools in the 23rd Ward and parents have taken notice.
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.
We need to work with the Department of Planning and Development and showcase the best parts of Chicago neighborhoods by bringing developers and partners down to see those communities.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
As an alderman representing a ward largely comprised of homeowners, I support property tax relief. I voted against the mayor’s property tax hikes and supported a measure to reduce the automatic increases tied to the consumer price index. We are relying on single-family homeowners to keep our city running and pricing them out of their homes as we’re doing it. It is unfair and needs to stop.
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?
Tax increment financing is a beneficial tool in theory, but it is often misused by City Hall at the expense of neighborhoods like those I represent. Neighboring suburban communities, businesses like those in the 23rdWard are at a disadvantage when it comes to the red tape and fees needed to open shop and keep the lights on. Despite decades of attempts, City Hall refuses to entertain creating a TIF district this close to the city limits. We need more oversight and fairness when it comes to the creation of TIFs as the businesses on the Southwest Side are just as deserving as businesses in other parts of the city.
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?
We need to prioritize the replacement of the water lines as a public health emergency and secure federal and state funds to expedite this project.
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 the alderman of the 23rd Ward, I am proud to be an independent voice for the residents I serve. I have fought against bad budgets, pushed for ethics reform to end lobbyist loopholes, authored vital legislation for public safety and first responder wellness, and pushed for a voter referendum on the redistricting process to ensure fair representation for the Latino community. Not all our battles have been victories and much remains to be done, but I have the experience and motivation to keep fighting for those I represent.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
The number one issue in the 23rd Ward is crime, for two reasons. Number one, residents do not feel as safe in their communities as in years past. New police policies, criminal justice reform, and increased gang activities have made many unsure about the future of our city. Secondly, the 23rd Ward is home to many first responders. These men and women see the crime occurring throughout the city and have a bird’s eye view of the seriousness of the issue. I spend time every day talking to these residents, hearing the concerns and the experiences they have. Before we can fix the city’s many other issues, crime needs to be handled first.
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Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
I am proud of my track record in the council of demonstrating independence from the 5th Floor and common-sense solutions. I represent a ward of no-nonsense working families who want to be able to pay their mortgage, afford their property taxes, send their kids to a good school in a safe neighborhood, and retire with savings in the bank. I am a full-time alderman, and I am one of those residents too. Every vote I take or ordinance I back is done with them in mind.