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: Chris Taliaferro
Ward: 29th Ward
Current job: 29th Ward Alderman
Previous political experience: 29th Ward Alderman (2015 – present), 29th Ward Democratic Committeeperson (2016-present, Chicago City Council Chairman, Committee on Public Safety, Cook County Democratic Party, Chairman Committee on Rules and By-Laws
Education: Lewis University – Summa Cum Laude (2003), UIC School of Law (Formerly The John Marshall Law School) (2007) Deans List of Honor Students
Spouse’s occupation: Shaker Recruitment Marketing – Client Consultant. (Works with Human Resource Departments in their employment marketing strategies for the hiring of new candidates)
Sources of outside income: Chicago Police Pension (Retired), Attorney, Spouse’s 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.
It is important that our Chicago Police Departments remains strategic and cutting edge in its approach to combating crime and reducing violence in our neighborhoods. Efforts in building sustainable relationships with the residents and forming proactive crime strategies is imperative. Our recent implementation of the Communication Commission for Public Safety and Accountability will be instrumental in addressing police policies that affect day-to-day internal operations and facilitating a renewal of public trust. However, it is just as important that we create an office of gun violence prevention to improve street operation of our Department. In the past 25 years, strategic policing has moved from a traditional form of policing, to a community based policing format (CAPS), and is now hovering over a growing trend in technology and data based policing. In addition to implementing newer patrol tactics, I would encourage the implementation and use of verified technology in reducing gun violence to include the use of gun recognition and detection technology, which is quite different from sound based detection. I would also consider the roll-out of incentivizing communities most impacted by violence with community-based grant programs that are designed to encourage community engagement and that are goal and performance based.
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.
CTA ridership has steadily increased over the past year. This has mainly been attributed to fare decreases and other rider incentives, as well as an increase to employee return to work employer policies. However, crimes committed on the public transit system has been a deterrent to seeing a more fruitful increase in ridership. As such, I have supported an effort to address these concerns with CTA on a quarterly basis through public hearings with the city council’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Committee on Transportation and Public Way. I have requested and the Superintendent has increased the number of officers riding the train and busses on a daily basis and increased the number of officers standing on the platforms during peak ridership. I would also support an effort to expand the voluntary special employment program that puts officers on CTA property (trains and platforms) to include officers riding busses and implement dedicated police patrolling on bus routes.
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?
There are several factor that have led to an overall decline in CPS enrollment over the past decade. Competition from private and charter educational systems, comparative classroom sizes, accessibility to ancillary resources, and a decline in City population are just few included on a growing list. But perhaps at the top of these concerns is proving a safe learning environment for teachers and students. To address many of these concerns, CPS could begin a tracking and communication system with parents that would provide data on why parents have decided to disenroll their children. However, for reasons that may not be so apparent, CPS could ensure that they are competitive with other educational systems by ensuring that there are adequate programs and resources to meet the needs of the traditional students and students of specific needs, ensuring that there is equity in provisions and resources amongst the schools regardless to school designations, offering accelerated degree programs and guaranteed enrollment opportunities with local universities outside city colleges and revamping CPS’s School Resource Officer Program.
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 would propose the establishment of a regionally based Community Capital Investment Program. This program would allow community residents to financially investment in a program vehicle that would have a direct impact on community development to include investing in affordable housing and economic engines. Through financial investment, community residents become leveled shareholders in the project’s success and the overall profitable success of the Program’s financial vehicle. The Program’s funds would be used to initiate community based loans and spur development. This Program could achieve success and is feasible in that it is quite similar to the more broad approached used by banks and a more streamlined approach of public ownership employed by an NFL franchise.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
Yes, I do support giving Chicagoans property tax relief. However, it is important to note that property tax must continue to be an equitable source for the City without compromising the fiscal health and ability to provide resources. Without compromising the sustainability of property tax and accomplish the goal of lessening the negative impact that property tax increases has on communities in need, Chicago could implement an income based exemption that is based upon the percentage of a resident’s income that could be allocated toward property taxes. Any amount paid by a low-income threshold renter or owner toward property taxes that exceeds the income based exemption, would be refunded through a property tax relief program.
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?
Overall, the TIF program has been quite useful in facilitating the spur of development for many of the City’s communities and in particular, in the 29th Ward. Although there has been misuse of TIF funds toward projects that are arguably outside the scope of the creation of TIF districts, I encourage their continued use, but also serve as a proponent of continued TIF reform. I have advocated for the creation of locally recognized community TIF project boards that would augment the current TIF Investment Committee. The community advisory committee would serve as an initial port for would-be applicants in discussing their proposed project, application and how the community could benefit from the project. But more importantly, the local advisory committee would determine if the TIF application falls within the scope of the TIF district to which the applicant is applying.
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 replacement of lead service lines has been crippling and must be expedited. Chicago can quicken the pace of replacement by including the offer of free service line replacements when water mains are being replaced on a city block. In 2018, when elevated levels of lead was determined to be in nearly 70% of the homes tested, I, along with my colleagues, proposed the use of a less than 1% increase in the real estate transfer tax on certain properties to help fund the costs of replacement. During that time, I also proposed that the City work with insurance programs that offered homeowners water and sewer line protections that would include retroactive repair for lead service lines. With federal assistance that has been provided by the Housing of Urban Development through community block grants, this program could prove vital in expediting the pace of replacement. Lastly, and because this will be an extended task to complete, funds generated by the operation of the Chicago casino can be levied toward the replacement of lead service lines.
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 believe that I have a keen understanding of the operation of government from every aspect and the role that it’s operation place in overall community growth. My background as an attorney has played an important role in assisting me in the creation, amendment and repeal of policy and ordinances. My extended background in law enforcement, which spans over 22 years, has helped me in addressing perhaps the City’s most pressing issue; public safety. I have been engaged at every level, to include the ushering in of the City’s most groundbreaking legislation, the Community Commission of Public Safety and Accountability. In being actively engaged, my service in the Council has been consistent, having missed only one meeting in nearly 8 years, due to the Covid virus exposure.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Public safety and violent crime reduction is the most pressing issues facing the residents of the 29th Ward. To help reduce violence in the Austin community I have worked with community stakeholders and our local police to push workable solutions in reducing violence. I worked with past District Commanders to create a grid-based program which was implemented in the 15th and 25th Districts that helped to reduce violent crime in the ward. The program operated off of smaller impacted areas within a beat but engaged the community in helping to reduce violence.
In addressing violence through creating a robust economic ward and community, I have supported and help facilitate over $250 million in current economic development which includes, the first professional performance arts theater in Austin, a youth and family community center, two full-service grocery stores, a major healthcare facility, a workforce innovation center and business hatchery. This will help to facilitate hundreds of jobs and contracting opportunities in the ward.
To facility community and neighborhood involvement through our community development program, I’ve successfully created two programs called Lawn Talks and The Block Representative Program. Both efforts get residents involved in solving community concerns, offering solutions and proactive measures to facilitate a better quality of life and reduction in violence.
Lastly, public safety and violence reduction must be met comprehensively through addressing mental health issues. In doing so, I have supported the sale of City property to facilitate the development and addition of a mental health facility to increase capacity and services of patients in need of mental health education and treatment on the westside of Chicago.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
I will continue to be a diligent and engaged Alderperson and use my experiences and understanding of government to actively represent the residents of my ward. Through community engagement, I have taken the concerns of the ward’s residents and have either chief sponsored or co-sponsored legislation and resolutions to positively affect the lives of families of the ward. I have hosted community meetings twice monthly, weekly ward nights, and on-block discussions to address the concerns of the residents. Although the pandemic has required a more careful approach to public forums, I have revised our meeting practices to some degree, but with the same level of commitment. Our ward, in the past 8 years, has moved in an upward trajectory with residents seeing a strong economic development path, strong community growth, major infrastructure repairs throughout the ward and City resources being obtain at a quicker pace.