Alderman, 6th Ward: Freddrenna M. Lyle

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Updated: January 20, 2011 4:28PM

Birth date: No response

Political affiliation: Democrat

Neighborhood: Park Manor

Occupation/Firm name: 6th Ward Alderman

Marital status: Single

Campaign HQ address: 404 E. 75th St., Chicago 60619

Campaign website: electlyle.com

What is your campaign budget?

$150,000

What are your top priorities for the City of Chicago?

Budget

Public safety

Education

What are your top priorities for your ward?

Public Safety

Education

Economic Development including Jobs

Health--access to healthy foods, healthy life style choices, HIV/AIDS prevention

The city is in serious financial trouble and can't afford the level of service it currently provides. For 2011, Mayor Daley, with City Council backing, balanced the budget without raising taxes or fees, relying instead on some cost-saving measures and one-time fixes, including using proceeds from leasing the city's parking meters. Do you support this approach? What should be done differently going forward?

Please be specific about your plans to reshape government: what services and departments would you scale back or cut? Can you identify new revenue sources? How can the City reduce personnel costs? What kind of concessions should the City seek from the unions?

No. We must begin to look at the City's Budgets on a long and short time basis. We must explore and obtain new and/or expanded revenue streams while squeezing every efficiency we can from the City's operations. Going forward, we must look at squeezing inefficiencies from the City bureaucracy while increasing revenue streams -- e.g., consolidating the water billing into the Dept. of Revenue. Furlough days by employees is not the way to balance the City budget.

The city's four employee pension funds have been called a "ticking time bomb," with Mayor Daley's pension commission predicting that the four funds will run out of money in 20 years. "There is no low- or no-cost solution to this problem," the commission wrote in a report earlier this year. "Deferring action is not a viable option." What is your plan for bringing the pension funds to solvency?

We must identify a dedicated revenue stream for the payment of our obligations to our employees.

Does Chicago need 50 aldermen? If not, what's a better number? What City Council committees could be combined? What other ways can the City Council save money?

Yes, reducing the number to 25 would further remove constituent services from the reach of constituents. The culture of Chicago is not that of New York or California. People in our Wards visit us for a whole litany of issues from City Services to Veteran's Affairs. Reducing the services to constituents by doubling the number of persons Aldermen service would hurt the communities that are most in need. Of course the Loop and business communities don't need this level of Aldermanic access because they have Chambers and Associations that advocate for them. In communities of color the people only have the Aldermen as their advocates.

What City Council committees could be combined? Housing and Landmarks. What other ways can the City Council save money? Reduce the legislative reference bureau.

Chicago was designed as a weak mayor, strong council form of government yet Mayor Daley wields considerable power over the City Council. What measures would you recommend to strengthen the council? On which issues should the mayor lead? On which should the council lead?

Provide the City Council with legal Counsel and budget assistance from among those already on the payroll, not new hires. Both the city Council and the Mayor should submit Budget recommendations, policy positions and economic development proposals.

The city's tax-increment financing program has been criticized on several fronts, including the proliferation of districts, how money is diverted from schools and other basic city services, how TIF funding decisions are made and for an overall lack of transparency. How would you improve the TIF program? Does the TIF law need to be changed in any way?

TIF funds should be disclosed online and as a part of the City's Budget documents. All TIFs should be administered by a TIF Advisory Council which oversees the planning, implementation and utilization of the funds. The TAC should be comprised of faith and community leaders, businesspersons and residents residing in the District. My one business TIF is so structured. The law's intent is to provide this valuable economic tool for under-served and blighted community redevelopment only.

Mayor Daley has focused on privatizing city assets. Are there any other assets the City Council should consider privatizing? If so, would you make any changes to the way privatization deals are negotiated and passed through the City Council?

I cannot think of any assets we should consider privatizing. Any and all future deals should be presented to Council not less than 60 days prior to submitting same for a vote, require public hearings with solicited evaluations presented to the Council seven days prior to said hearings.

The Chicago Police Department is understaffed, with no lasting budget solution in sight. Given the current staffing levels, what changes would you recommend to use resources more efficiently? Do you support realigning beats in a way that moves police from lower crime areas to higher crime neighborhoods? What should happen to the diminished CAPS program?

The City of Chicago, its highly valued tourism and its international standing are dependent upon the world seeing Chicago as a safe City. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the City commit all necessary resources to reducing crime in all neighborhoods. Sound policing requires that constant analysis be done to determine those areas and adequate manpower be assigned to address crime in those areas. In a climate of under-staffing that requires analyzing workforce strength detail by detail and reallocating manpower as needed. CAPS should be continued with a greater level of community, faith-based and not-for-profit involvement.

The next mayor will choose a new CEO for the Chicago Public Schools. Do you think the CEO needs to have education experience? Should the new mayor continue the Renaissance 2010 program of shutting down failing schools and creating new ones? Should the new mayor continue Ron Huberman's "culture of calm" effort, which aims to improve the culture of the toughest schools and provides mentors and extra support for kids at greatest risk of being shot? What should CPS do to improve neighborhood schools that are struggling to educate the large numbers of students left behind, the students that don't make it into test-based, charters or other specialized schools?

The Chief Financial Officer should have business experience and the Chief Educational Officer should have an education background. Should the new mayor continue the Renaissance 2010 program of shutting down failing schools and creating new ones? No. Should the new mayor continue Ron Huberman's "culture of calm" effort? Yes, with possible revisions after an analysis of effectiveness.

CPS should engage in an aggressive program of transforming neighborhood schools into community schools. By doing so, you bring not for profits/ faith based and business backed programs into the schools to offer wraparound services to the most needy families; provide a location for badly needed recreational programming; encourage youth to partake in after-school mentoring and tutoring programs (since the school becomes the place to be); engage parents in their children's lives by bringing them into the building for GED, job training, public health exams, ESL and other types of programming; recreate a sense of pride of place in neighborhoods and create communities that value education based on stronger families that value education.

Do you support one or more casinos for Chicago? If so, where would you like to see casinos located?

I am personally opposed to gambling, because it has a disproportionately negative impact on lower income individuals, as lottery zip code analysis repeatedly discloses. I do however recognize the need for increased revenue streams for the City. I have no opinion on location at this time.

Aldermen have considerable influence over TIF, zoning and other decisions, both large and small, related to development and services in their ward. Do aldermen have too much influence?

TIF, zoning and many other decisions related to development in Wards require City Council approval. The Council must exercise appropriate oversight.

If elected alderman, do you plan to maintain an outside job? Would you pledge not to hold any job that represents a conflict of interest, including those that involve spending public dollars?

Although I will maintain my law license, I will as always serve as a full-time alderman. I will continue to refrain from engaging in any and all activities that present conflicts of interest and would pledge to do so.

Would you accept campaign contributions or gifts from your employees? Would you pledge not to hire relatives on your staff?

I will continue to comply with all ethical regulations regarding those questions.

Does the City need to change the way it hands out contracts? Should aldermen reclaim oversight of City contracts? If so, contracts above what dollar amount?

Yes to both, especially contracts over $100,000.00.

Do you support an inspector general just for the City Council? Would you support giving the city's existing inspector general power to investigate aldermen and their staffs, including subpoena power?

I support an inspector general just for the City Council. Having carefully analyzed the regulations and powers of the executive inspector general I would be unwilling to submit any additional employees to the jurisdiction of that office. We have asked the executive inspector general and his predecessor to promulgate rules by which his office would be governed guaranteeing that basic rights of employees are protected. To date, no such document has been forthcoming. As the office functions as an investigatory arm for law enforcement, protections afforded to citizens undergoing investigation by law enforcement should naturally be afforded to our employees. That is not currently the case.

Should there be new limits on who can lobby City Hall officials, including aldermen? Should former City Hall employees be prohibited from doing business with the city after their departure? If so, for how long?

I have not previously considered this issue, but would be willing to review existing limits and make necessary revisions. I believe 1-2 years is fairly standard for former employees doing business with the City.

What's the best book ever written about Chicago? Why?

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Please list your educational background

University of Illinois at Chicago, BA

The John Marshall Law School, JD

Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong

National Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Park Manor Neighbors, Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, NAACP, Operation PUSH, National Association of Negro Women, ACLU

Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?

Alderman of the 6th Ward since 1998

Democratic Committeeman of the 6th Ward since 2004

Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government

During and following the Washington and Sawyer administrations, I was employed by a firm that represented the City and various sister agencies, providing tort defense and municipal bond representation. During the early 1990s I was a hearing officer for the University of Illinois. Since 1997, none.

Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed

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Please paste a brief biography here

Freddrenna Lyle is proud of the ward she has served as alderman since 1998 and a life-long resident of the Park Manor neighborhood her family has called "home" for over 50 years. She fondly remembers strong block clubs, good schools, locally owned businesses, shopping options, active churches, and great neighbors. A "doer" by nature," she has fought to ensure others in her community could also benefit from such opportunities.

In the City Council, Lyle sits on the Aviation, Budge, Committee on Committees, Finance, Licensing, Parks, and Traffic Committees. Her contributions, particularly to the 6th Ward, include.

￯﾿ﾽ Attracting such businesses as Anna's Linens, Ashley Stewart, AT&T, The Children's Place, Lane Bryant, Nike Factory, Radio Shack, Target, and Walgreen's.

￯﾿ﾽ Bringing in a dedicated residential building and two satellite centers for seniors.

￯﾿ﾽ Successfully opposing the closing of Deneen and Gillespie Elementary Schools, helping secure funds for after-school programs and founding the nonprofit Lyle for Kids to provide scholarships and positive extracurricular activities.

￯﾿ﾽ Creating a safer environment through upgraded lighting and crime prevention equipment and her work with police to provide adequate resources.

￯﾿ﾽ Introducing legislation that stopped the closure of Masonic and VFW Halls, created penalties for violating the City's MBE/WBE ordinance, regulated "Cash for Gold" stores, and advocated a living wage.

￯﾿ﾽ Spearheading an Aquaponics facility in Chicago State University so students can earn a degree in environmental sciences, as well as planning an urban farm in Englewood to afford the community greater access to fresh produce.

Prior to becoming alderman, Lyle had a distinguished legal career. She served as president of the Cook County Bar Association, of which she is still a member, and on several state bodies concerned with ethics and election reform. She re-convened and later chaired the then-dormant Black Elected Officials of Illinois and in 2008 was elected vice-chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, City of Chicago. Active in community affairs for many years, she is a member of the Park Manor Neighbors, Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, NAACP, the Cook County Bar Assoc., National Conference of Negro Women and Rainbow PUSH.