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: Stephanie Coleman
Ward: 16th
Current job: Alderman City of Chicago
Previous political experience: Elected Democratic Committeeman 2016 – Present Elected 16th Ward Alderman 2019- Present
Education: Masters of Science Non Profit Bachelors of Science Business Management
Spouse’s occupation: N/A
Sources of outside income: N/A
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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.
Crime, particularly violent crime, is the most pressing issue facing our city today – and it has been that way for years. There are no simple solutions that will “solve” crime overnight. We need an all-of-the-above strategy to combat the violence on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and across our city. While one solution may sound simple particularly the need for more police officers, just as important, we need to provide greater investments in programs and strategies that address the underlying economic and social issues that lead to crime in the first place, including a lack of opportunity, lack of education, lack of quality housing, and lack of health care and mental health services in our impoverished communities. I support more funding for violence intervention and diversion programs; and community programs and organizations that work with at-risk youth to keep them out of trouble and give them a chance at success.
Additionally, we must ensure that more public safety resources actually go to local police districts, instead of redirecting them from the neighborhoods they serve. For example, 007th District Englewood is one of the busiest districts in the city, yet it remains understaffed year after year after year. I support more funding for CAPS so that residents can participate in local public safety initiatives while also building relationships with local officers. More funding and more consistency means stronger relationships and more trust between officers and the communities they serve, which makes us all safer.
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.
We can all agree that CTA service has not only been plagued by violence and plummeting ridership, but also by unreliable service and labor shortages. The current state of affairs is unacceptable from a safety, reliability, and equity standpoint. That’s why I signed a resolution last summer with many of my colleagues demanding answers – and action – from CTA officials.
The challenges facing CTA, and our city as a whole, are all interconnected. If we want to improve equity, we need to improve reliability; to improve reliability, we must improve safety. I support more funding for both armed officers and unarmed security guards to keep CTA riders safe as they get from Point A to Point B. I also support expanding CTA service to neighborhoods and communities that have been underserved, or unserved, for years.
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?
The problem of declining enrollment at Chicago Public Schools affects our entire K-12 education system, at schools big and small, from elementary up through high school. We have to ensure all of our schools have the resources they need to provide a world-class education to students of all ages, so that parents and families have a reason to want to send their children to CPS schools. We also should invest more in career and technical education programs for high school-aged kids s to give more students a reason to remain in school and give them a pathway to employment after graduation.
At the same time, declining enrollment is less about families not choosing Chicago Public Schools, but more about families not choosing Chicago, period. By failing to invest in affordable housing, public transportation, quality health care, and more – especially in black and brown communities – we are starving our communities and, as a result, starving our public schools. In the long term, we will only succeed in reversing the trend of dwindling enrollment by building healthy communities, strong businesses, and safe streets. While we should demand a high-quality education system for all our students and families, we cannot expect CPS to solve all the problems facing our communities today.
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.
As a lifelong 16th Ward resident, I have seen FIRSTHAND the devastating impact on our communities of disinvestment and neglect. That’s why I’ve been calling attention to the issue, particularly here on the South side, for years, even before I was elected to represent my community as an alderman four years ago. Celebrating, supporting, and strengthening small businesses has been my mission from Day One.
I support the use of tax increment financing to spark development – but on a case-by-case basis that doesn’t put corporations before taxpayers. I also support more funding for grant programs like Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, SBIF, INVEST South/West initiative, which has brought some (not much) development to Englewood already, but has yet to reach its full potential, and is just one piece of the puzzle in strengthening these communities. That’s why I just helped create the FIRST Special Service Area (SSA) for Englewood – because communities like mine should have the same opportunities, resources, and investment as wealthier parts of the city.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
I have opposed property tax hikes in the past, and I understand that many Chicago households today are struggling to keep up with rising bills today. That said, a one-time property tax relief payment, while helpful, will do little to address the issue in the long run, as homeowners will simply see their bills jump the following year instead. We should focus on ways to raise revenue from other sources instead of relying so heavily on the property tax; and investing in development in our neglected neighborhoods to expand the property tax base, with both residential and commercial developments. If we can find a way to provide short-term property tax relief to low-income homeowners without shortchanging other essential city programs, we should consider it.
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 (TIF) districts have their role in promoting development and economic activity in our city, particularly in those areas that have been too often ignored by private developers and city officials alike. But they have also been abused over the years and used essentially as corporate welfare in affluent areas. I support the use of TIFs for their intended purpose—spurring development in the communities that need it most, addressing blight, and creating jobs and economic prosperity. But the program desperately needs greater transparency and accountability to ensure that our tax dollars are being used appropriately, with the greatest benefit to the public good, not private interests.
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?
The pace of lead service line replacement absolutely needs to be expedited. While any progress is better than nothing, we need to match the urgency of the solution to the urgency of the problem. While there are obviously labor and cost barriers to such an expansive undertaking, we need to pursue more sources of funding and hire more Department of Water Management workers to get the job done in a more timely manner. That means working to procure additional federal funding and low-interest loans, as well as dedicating additional city resources to the cause. All Chicago residents deserve access to safe, clean drinking water in their homes. We cannot let cost get in the way of providing that essential service.
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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.
I am a lifelong resident of the 16th Ward who has worked tirelessly these last four years to get real results for my community and the City of Chicago. As an Alderman, I’ve made it my personal mission to welcome families and homeowners new and old back into a historically Black community. Under my leadership, Englewood and Chicago Lawn has brought hundreds of families back to the community with new affordable housing – families that previously fled the area because of lack of opportunity, safety, and services. I want to continue that trend.
I’ve increased affordable housing for seniors, including with the creation of Montclare JoAnne Thompson Senior Residences, which has 10 mixed-income apartments for seniors in the South Side. I’ve pushed policies that would benefit working Chicagoans, including an increase in the minimum wage and paid sick leave for workers. And I’ve worked to secure millions of dollars for violence prevention programs to address the public safety crisis our city continues to face.
My office also has helped thousands of residents with employment assistance, home infrastructure grants, small business development, property tax issues, financial literacy, and more. And I’ve spearheaded efforts to bring redevelopment and economic activity to Englewood, including with the $14 million Englewood Connect project and efforts to address the lack of access to healthy, affordable food in our communities. My dedication to my community is what truly sets me apart and makes me most qualified for this job.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
The challenges facing the residents of the 16th Ward, and of the City of Chicago in general, are all interconnected. Public safety is first and foremost on everyone’s mind, but we won’t be able to make real change and safer communities without investing in economic development, creating jobs, improving public education, creating affordable housing, and providing high quality health care and mental health services. A lack of economic development and investment in our businesses leads to out-of-control crime; unsafe streets lead to a loss of residents from the area, harming businesses and causing declining enrollment in our schools; fewer students mean fewer resources, and fewer opportunities for our young people; fewer opportunities mean more crime.
Safety. Economic Development. Education. Those are the most pressing issues facing my neighbors and my constituents. But we can only make any real progress in addressing them by taking them all on together. We need to increase funding for CAPS and community policing in our communities. We need to aggressively invest in affordable housing and small and large businesses alike, including bringing healthy, quality, affordable food options to the area. And we need to better support our local schools, teachers and our students.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
In four years as the voice for all 16th Ward residents in City Hall, my approach has always been community first. While I have worked tirelessly to enact legislation to improve the lives of seniors, the working class, young people, and families throughout our city – providing funding for violence prevention programs the residents of the 16 have always been front and center. Too often our elected officials seem to only care about their constituents during election season – and forget about them once they’re elected. I have made it my mission to go to bat for residents of the 16th Ward every single day, from advocating for economic development projects to sponsoring Englewood’s first music festival to bringing a much-needed grocery store to the area to improving affordability for our seniors.