To inform voters and to help the Chicago Tribune 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: Carolynn Crump
Ward: 16th
Current job: Police Officer – Chicago Police Department
Previous political experience: None
Education: Doctor in Business Administration
Spouse’s occupation: DNA
Sources of outside income: Chicago Park District Security Officer
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.
As a Chicago police officer, I have seen the value of state-of-the-art-technology, smart patrolling strategies and effective interagency and intergovernmental cooperation in fighting crime. As Alderperson, I will fight for the following common-sense crime fighting measures by building effective coalitions with state, city, and county law enforcement leaders. I will also try to bridge the gap between the city, state, and federal leaders.
Mandate “smart gun” regulations. Many of these guns end up in the hands of criminals. I will push for legislation requiring “smart gun” technologies, which require owners to activate their guns based on a fingerprint or palm print.
Require better tracking of firearms and cartridges.
Establish comprehensive gun buyback events
Support Police Officers’ duties in dealing with gun offenses.
Cross train law enforcement officers throughout the state to address high-crime areas in Chicago.
Increase the use for license plate readers and shot spotter technology.
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.
I support three major strategies for improving the CTA
Provide incentives for people to travel back to the central business district by promoting transit benefit programs and hold the line on property tax increases.
Increase police presence on high-risk transit lines.
Promote transit-oriented development by encouraging residential development near mass transit stops.
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?
In the past, some mayors have closed schools that are more than 50 percent under-enrolled. I reject that approach, as well as closing low-performing schools and replacing them with new schools that promise to be better or sending displaced students to higher-performing schools. These responses are disruptive and can cause children to fall behind in learning.
The moral imperative is to raise the level of educational performance at all neighborhood schools. They are a place for children and families to strengthen ties to each other and create a sense of belonging. Neighborhood schools build communities based on the simple fact that residents live near each other. Other schools are exclusive and separate children into winners and those who are left behind. Neighborhood schools do not sort kids. They bring families together based on the best interest of all children, regardless of their background.
Neighborhood schools are learning and community centers. By investing in neighborhood schools, the city can attract families back to under populated areas and restore vitality to the community and local businesses.
I support neighborhood schools. To start, CPS must create and sustain a safe environment in each school. They must work with the Chicago Police Department to develop annual safety plans, based on data and input from each school and local school councils, as well as provide adequate security staff to meet expected challenges.
Based on a foundation of safety and security, Chicago’s neighborhood public schools can rise again.
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.
The 16th ward has many vacant properties and unimproved land parcels. I believe the city must provide tax incentives for property in the ward to be developed, instead of remaining vacant. Also, I believe the city and Cook County must step in to buy and redevelop vacant land as a last resort.
The current tax system treats vacant, unimproved property the same as developed residential property. Both are assessed at 10% of fair market value. I support increasing the tax rate on vacant, unimproved property from 10% to up to 15% of fair market value and use the revenue to fund vacant land purchases by the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA).
CCLBA was created in 2014 as a quasi-governmental unit of Cook County government. Since its inception, the Authority has acquired, sold, or rehabbed 3,332 foreclosed or vacant properties in Cook County. They have done so with grant funds and property donations. With an increase in funding through higher vacant land taxes, CCLBA will have more funds to acquire, hold, and transfer interest in real property in Chicago. With more funding, CCLBA can promote redevelopment and reuse of vacant, abandoned, foreclosed or tax-delinquent properties.
As Alderperson, I will advocate for tax rate changes and restructuring of the governing board of CCLBA to represent the interests of undervalued communities in Chicago. In addition, I support measures that make housing less expensive and reduce infrastructure costs, including:
Expanding Chicago’s ADU pilot program The program allows build additional units in coach houses, backyard houses and in-law apartments.
Allowing smaller lot sizes By creating “small lot zones”, the city can potentially increase the number of homes that can be built in any community.
Streamlining rezoning of vacant non-residential buildings Vacant buildings can become eyesores in the community and attract criminal activity. Also, the city may need to take steps to maintain the property, such as removing trash. Therefore, I favor streamlining rezoning to permit to redevelop properties such as churches and schools in a quick and efficient manner.
Provide cost offsets for affordable or workforce housing: bonuses would allow for more housing to be built on a specific sight. The three most used density bonus criteria are the number of dwelling units per acre, the floor area ratio and the height of the building. As Alderperson, I would allow for a range of reasonable density bonuses to increase the number of dwelling units in a development.
Help income-qualified homebuyers with down payment assistance I support efforts to provide down payment assistance for family or multi-unit dwellings.
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 favor providing relief because property taxes can increase faster that household or business income. This places an undue burden on families and businesses to pay for government services.
To replace property tax revenues, I support introduction of a graduated income tax in Illinois, and taxing business and professional services, which are currently exempt from sales taxes. These policy changes require constitutional and legislative changes, which I support. At the municipal level, I support the following measures to replace property tax revenues and provide property tax relief.
Head Tax Chicago had a head tax (also known as the Employers Expense Tax) until 2014 when it was eliminated. The $2 a month tax per employee, which was applied to businesses that employed 50 or more full-time workers or employees who performed 50% or more of their work service per calendar quarter in the City of Chicago, did not hinder economic growth or profits before the Great Recession of 2007-2009, during the Recession, or in the five years of recovery that followed until its demise in 2014. The tax represents a stable and effective source of revenue and should be considered for reinstatement.
Mini bonds The digital revolution has come to the municipal bond market. Normally, state and local governments sell municipal bonds to finance public capital projects. However, the minimum purchase requirements of most general obligation bond offerings are beyond the means of the average citizens. To engage the average citizen in their communities, progressive cities such as Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts and Denver, Colorado have successfully implemented mini-bond finance programs using digital underwriting service companies. Mini bonds are more affordable than traditional municipal bonds for certain potential investors. They are available in minimum denominations of $1,000, as opposed to the traditional $5,000 denomination. Also, the bonds mature in a shorter period of time. For example, the 2018 Cambridge, Massachusetts mini bonds will mature in five years, whereas most municipal bonds mature after 10 or 20 years. The principal will be paid at maturity. There is no fee to purchase mini bonds if they are purchased online through a recognized underwriting services company. Other brokers may charge their customary fees.
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?
I support TIF because it provides a reliable, long-term source of funding for development and infrastructure improvement for up to 23 years. Most TIF funds are spent on infrastructure and public facilities improvements, including renovations of Chicago Public Schools, park and open space projects at the Chicago Park District, and track and station renovations at the CTA.
Currently, developers can opt-out of affordable housing set asides and still receive TIF funding by paying an “in-lieu” fee. If residential developers choose the “in-lieu” fee, then they should be required to include community-oriented services, such as retail stores, major grocery chains, or pharmacies in their development plan, as well as renovation of public facilities, such as CTA transit stations and bus stops or Chicago Park District field houses and outdoor recreation attractions. As Alderperson, I will ensure that any TIF deals affecting the ward meet these criteria.
Also, I support TIF for projects that provide Chicagoans with a direct benefit, such as the Transit TIF for the renovation of the CTA’s Red Line. The purpose of the district is to generate funds to repay $622 million in transportation infrastructure loans which were set up as matching funds for state and federal grants.
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?
Many homes and businesses in Chicago receive water through lead service lines. Unfortunately, lead has leached into the water supply for 1 in 5 homes with water meters, exposing young children to greater risks of brain and nervous system damage and adults to high blood pressure and kidney damage.
As Alderperson, I will support four measures to reduce and eliminate household exposure to lead in tap water:
Supplying low cost “point-of-use” filter to at-risk households. The filters will be certified by an independent testing organization.
Supporting development of a capital budget and plan to remove and replace lead service lines in the next 15 to 20 years for the health of the public.
Pushing for issuance of capital improvement bonds to pay for removal of lead pipes.
Seeking designation of lead pipe illnesses as a public health emergency and finding federal funding to address the emergency.
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.
With my education and professional experiences, I know what it takes to improve the quality of life in the16th Ward. I can research and develop strategies with stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive plan that includes citizens’ ideas and suggestions.
Based on my experience, I can devise and elaborate an effective vision for improving economic development in the short and long-term in the 16th ward. I can work with stakeholders to implement a development plan for new and renovated properties. I can work with the community to open dine-in and take out restaurants and coffee shops, small retail businesses like clothing and furniture stores, and everyday essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies.
Lastly, I am a hands-on-deck person. I listen to everyone’s needs when someone is in need for help. I can research the issues(s) and look for solutions using available resources. In addition, I’ve assisted many people with a variety of issues by showing them “how to overcome” their fears or obstacles to succeed in life.
Under my leadership, the 16th Ward will attract more citizens and businesses to move in and bring a higher quality of life to all residents.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
The 16th Ward is in dire need for real estate developments for residential homes, apartments, condos; small and commercial businesses; and places for leisure and recreational activities like theatres and hotel establishments for people in all ages and abilities. There are many vacant lands, abandon buildings, zombie homes, and junk yards left behind which depreciates the value of resources coming into the community and continues to make the area depressing.
Please see my response to the questions above for my economic development and investment plans for the 16th ward.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
For the last 4 years, the 16th Ward has suffered from a lack of leadership. The incumbent has failed to address issues of crime, economic disinvestment, and quality of life. My opponents offer piece-meal approaches to combatting crime, reversing years of disinvestment and investing in our children’s futures. I have outlined a holistic, comprehensive plan for renewal of the 16th ward that calls for common-sense police measures, practical support of economic development, partnering with the business community and maintaining our neighborhood schools and community centers.
