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: Tim Noonan
Ward: 19th
Current job: Computer Consultant focusing on electronic discovery, cybersecurity, and FOIA in the federal space. I am self-employed.
Previous political experience: Local School Council
Education: Marquette University, Bachelor of Science with a degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science
Spouse’s occupation: Sales associate for Hallagan Business Machines, a small family business
Sources of outside income: My sole source of income is my work as a computer consultant and my wife’s position at HBM
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.
Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries slogan “Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job” rings true. Young men of color are more disproportionately jailed or have a criminal record, yet when applying for employment they are often denied due to the failure of a background check. This leads to a cycle of poverty, which leads to crime. Before the pandemic much of the south side and west side were experiencing between 22%-40% unemployment.
To right this ship we need to first understand why there is such unemployment and poverty on the south and west sides of Chicago. It could be said in confidence that there is a coalition between mental health, schools, and crime. It may not seem to be that intuitive, but schools play a major role in the fabric of our city and society. High schools and elementary schools serve as de facto meeting places as well as safe nurturing environments. When we close schools, we are tearing out a focal point of a community, leaving the neighborhood adrift without being tethered and anchored to a school.
We need to create safe places for our kids to play and socialize without being in danger. A place where they can be themselves. Some years ago there was a concerted effort to remove all of the outdoor basketball courts around the 19th ward (source baiduhai 7/1/2000). We need to restore outdoor public basketball courts and include lighting for our children to have a place to play both day and at night. This will help mend cross neighborhood relations and restore trust amongst our youth.
The pandemic exposed the acute need for mental health services. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed half of the city’s 12 public mental health clinics in 2012. Four of them were located on the South Side.
As alderman I want to not only restore the closed mental health clinics, but to make a major investment by adding more. Also, I would demand to have a study done to determine what damage has occurred between closing of both healthcare clinics and schools. It is obvious that the record numbers of people leaving the city over the last few years is a direct effect from closing schools.
In addition, I will make it a goal to bring more businesses into our neighborhoods; thereby bringing employment to local residences. Focusing on job training to create a skilled workforce for Chicago businesses to tap into. Partnering with the trade unions to develop training programs for our young men of color who garner the skills needed for today and tomorrow. We need to focus on technologies such as renewable energy.
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.
Public transportation in Chicago needs to be completely reviewed and overhauled. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic ridership showed a stark drop. The city needs dependable, safe, and clean public transport. The CTA have stated that they are recruiting for hundreds of positions to ensure this. Yet this, admittedly, is just the beginning.
The tracking application that is currently used is not based on real life data, but on scheduled or planned information. One delay and the information will be completely irrelevant. In order to inform riders of the timeliness of buses and trains, we need GPS data to be updated in real time to give riders an honest account of CTA assets. This should prevent ghosting. We currently have a plow tracker application that currently does this. Why not for CTA.
We need to ensure that we accommodate transportation needs for all Chicagoans. We need to review the system and see how it is working in areas where there are fewer car owners and few public transportation options. Where there is no option to work, naturally crime will flourish. We need to make transportation work for the people.
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?
Schools are a major factor on where people choose to live. Everyone wants to live in a safe neighborhood, away from the violence that has plagued our city. Schools play a major role in the fabric of our city and society. High schools and elementary schools serve as de facto meeting places as well as safe nurturing environments. When we close schools, we are tearing out a focal point of a community, leaving the neighborhood adrift without being tethered.
Create safe neighborhoods for children to attend schools. Because you cannot have successful schools in the element of fear.
Provide a safe nurturing environment for our children with best-in-class education. We need to make sure the schools have the tools of tomorrow to help prepare our children for the future. We cannot expect them to be able to success in a vacuum or with antiquated materials.
Open our schools to the neighborhood it serves. The encouragement of events and meetings at the school will provide a bridge from our communities to our schools.
There are a significant number of students who were enrolled before the pandemic but have yet returned to school. There was no transition plan and they have not been accounted for. We need to find our kids and get them back to school.
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.
Building a community arts center is an excellent way rebuild a community. There are many examples where we see the introduction of arts to our communities have paid dividends, such as the Theaster Gates Stony Island Arts Bank. This would provide performance space and a gallery. We seem to sell our neighbors in challenging neighborhoods short. There is talent and life experiences in the folks from these areas. An arts center would provide an opportunity for our young people to give their experiences a way to express themselves. A community art center would also have the added benefit of a meeting place in the neighborhood. Finally, an arts center would be the cornerstone to which to build upon.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
Yes, for far too long the city residents have endured higher and higher property taxes. This builds resentment between people who pay higher taxes and those in poverty. Yet, our Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program is wrought with opportunities of corruption. TIFs take away property tax dollars away from local government, schools, parks and libraries. The money moves into a discretionary fund that is controlled by the mayor without community input. With the removal of TIFs, we would be able to ease the tax burden on our residents and still provide first rate schools, parks and libraries.
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?
In the short-term, I will require transparency of TIF expenditures. Visibility to use of TIF will then be followed up with hearings about how best the money was/will be used. In its current state, TIFs are a piggybank for the mayor in pursuit of pet projects. Longer term I would like to discontinue the TIF program and return the money into the city coffers to pay long overdue and neglected bills such as pension obligations.
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?
Yes, we need to expedite the rollout of the replacement of lead lines. My family has personally been affected by this when my daughter started experiencing high levels of lead in her system. We need to make this a priority as elevated levels of lead are known to affect a child’s ability to learn. Starting Jan. 1, the city will be required to replace all of the lead service lines connected to a water main that is being repaired. This is a substantial investment, but with the help of grants and creative partnering can be accomplished. Yet, there needs to be a plan and an approach of when we can expect the service lines to be replaced.
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.
My background is in transparency in government. I work with the federal government to provide FOIA systems (Freedom Of Information Act) and electronic discovery systems that shines a light on decision making and information that all too often is kept in the dark. As a city, I know we can do better in bringing our community into decision making, after all, it’s their city too.
I am in a unique position, as compared to the other candidates when it comes to public safety. I have never been a police officer and I am not from a police family. This allows me the vision to see beyond the same old tactics that have not worked for years. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I am in a position since I do not have the pedigree or am beholden to anyone, is to take public safety from a holistic approach.
I have fought battles with aldermen to save our public schools. I proven I am invested in not just our local public-school option, but in every child’s education. I am a seasoned elected member of our local school council and have fought to secure $3.2 million dollars for our local elementary school.
I am leader and problem solver. I created two nonprofits by bringing different groups together for a common cause. I lead the effort in the restoration of the Chicago Council of Gold Star Mothers monument. I created the 19th Ward Mutual Aid group that fed 20,000 people during the pandemic.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Public safety is our most pressing issue. Our public safety officers are woefully understaffed. We are down nearly 2,000 police officers and counting. We need to make this job winnable. We ask too much of our police. We are asking the police to be a Swiss Army knife to address the types of calls they are assigned. The police are overworked, and their personal lives are taking a toll, which makes reforms difficult.
We need to provide mental health services for our police force. The rash of suicides that occur in the ranks is heartbreaking. We ask for our police to work long hours without days off. We are taking them to their breaking point.
Treatment Not Trauma creates a city-wide crisis response program that dispatches mental health professionals and EMT to calls instead of police officers. Treatment Not Trauma would fund a strong public care system able to support individuals after they have a crisis and work to prevent emergencies before they happen. Treatment Not Trauma would alleviate many calls that our public safety officers are currently addressing. This program would free the police to address other issues.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
Due to my community service and involvement, I am ready to take the next step and represent the 19th Ward in the Chicago City Council. I am someone who has proven that I can partner with others to get things done for the community. I listen to the community’s needs, rather than dictating to the community. Due to my grassroots organizing, I have built a reputation as someone who can do what’s needed when others won’t.
As alderman, I will foster deeper community relationships between different groups within the ward. I will make ward decisions based on what will improve our quality of life with an emphasis on strong public schools and solutions to public safety issues. Most of all, I know that better solutions come from working together to make a better 19th Ward.