Residents Express Concern Over Proposed Ward Maps in Second Remapping Hearing

Chicago’s South Side residents crowded into Progressive Baptist Church on Thursday, Jan. 12, taking turns expressing their discontent over proposed ward maps to aldermen at the second public hearing for the city’s ward remapping process.

While multiple ward maps have been introduced, including the Black Caucus’ Map for a Better Chicago, the Latino Caucus’ Taxpayer Protection Map, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s (MALDEF) Equity Map, some residents voiced their disapproval for all, citing aldermen were more concerned over protecting their posts than serving the interest of Chicago’s communities.

“I made one mistake 10 years ago,” said Valerie Brown, principal at Hamline Elementary School. “I left the redistricting up to the politicians and that was the biggest mistake I made.”

Hamline Elementary consists of three buildings and is located in Back of the Yards, a neighborhood currently divided into five wards. Brown explained that each of the school’s buildings falls into separate wards – one of the buildings is in Ald. Pat Dowell’s 3^rd ward, another in Ald. Willie Cochran’s 20^th ward, while the other lies in Ald. JoAnn Thompson’s 16^th ward, making it difficult for her to get the services that she needs for the school.

Other residents from the 11^th ward and from the North Side neighborhood of Lincoln Park also testified, asking the aldermen to keep their neighborhoods intact. Some questioned the transparency of the remapping process, citing the possible compromise between the Black and Latino Caucus, reported by various news sources on Wednesday Jan. 11.

Two more public hearings are scheduled, although specific dates have not been given, before aldermen vote on their preferred map. In order for a map to be approved it needs support from 41 out of the 50 aldermen, if no deal can be reached the competing maps would land on the March 20 ballot, reported WBEZ.