Alderman, 16th Ward: Joann Thompson
Jan 11, 2011
Updated: January 20, 2011 4:28PM
Birth date: 09-18-1956
Political affiliation: DEMOCRAT
Neighborhood: ENGLEWOOD
Occupation/Firm name: ALDERMAN-16TH WARD, CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL
Marital status: Widow
Campaign HQ address: 5335 S. WESTERN BLVD. 1ST FLOOR SOUTH, CHICAGO, IL 60609
Campaign website: N/A
What is your campaign budget?
$200,000.00
What are your top priorities for the City of Chicago?
1. Improve public education.
2. Improve public safety.
What are your top priorities for your ward?
1. To continue to establish sustainable economics.
2. To continue to provide comprehensive city services.
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?
*I support the approach of balancing the budget. Going forward, I support measures necessar.
to maintain and improve public services.
*In reshaping government I would not scale back or cut any services or departments that would compromise public services.
*New revenue sources might include raising taxes on fuel used by O'Hare and Midway airports.
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?
*While buyouts are not popular, they would reduce personnel costs.
*Any concessions sought from labor unions should be addressed during contract negotiations.
*I will seek to work in conjunction with the Illinois General Assembly to ensure that the pension funds are solvent.
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?
*I do believe that Chicago needs 50 aldermen.
*I do not believe that combining City Council committees would be a drastic cost saving measure. Further, I believe that sufficient cuts have been made, i.e., unpaid holidays and mandatory furlough days imposed on all City of Chicago personnel.
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?
The Mayor and the City Council must work in concert to amicably resolve all City of Chicago concerns.
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?
I will continue to monitor the TIF program within the City of Chicago to ensure that taxpayer monies are spent fairly and efficiently on behalf of City residents.
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?
Any further privatization of City assets should have stronger oversight to ensure that cost savings created are real and demonstrate savings over the long term.
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?
While the Chicago Police Department is understaffed, a giant step was taken in the 2011 Budget to increase police personnel by 200 officers. Given the recent redeployment of police officers, I believe that the CPD administration has adjusted well by realigning beats within all City of Chicago neighborhoods.
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?
If the next mayor chooses to appoint a CEO for the Chicago Public Schools, that individual should possess education credentials and experience in education. The fate of low achieving schools should be decided by individuals who understand how children learn, how teachers teach and the challenges parents and students face daily. So as to make Chicago Public Schools work for all children, individuals with true knowledge of how education is delivered should monitor closely the School Improvement Plan and School Report Card of all struggling schools.
Do you support one or more casinos for Chicago? If so, where would you like to see casinos located?
I would consider support of a casino resort on Northerly Island.
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?
The City Council is the governing body of the municipality of Chicago. As members of the Chicago City Council, the 50 member body; Aldermen, in collaboration with the mayor, make decisions regarding providing municipal services; police and fire, roads, sidewalks, and sewers, etc. Given the duities and responsibilities cited above,I do not believe that aldermen have too much influence as it relates to development and services in their Ward.
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?
Upon being elected Alderman of the 16th Ward, I resigned from my career as a Lieutenant in the Cook County Sheriff's Department. Therefore, I would pledge not to hold any job that represents a conflict of interest, including those that involve spending public dollars.
Would you accept campaign contributions or gifts from your employees? Would you pledge not to hire relatives on your staff?
I do not require campaign contributions or gifts from my staff. It is my belief that all positions should be staff by qualified individuals, regardless of family relation.
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?
It is my belief that more over-sight of the contract bidding process on contracts in excess of $500,000 by aldermen would avoid improprieties.
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 believe that the existing ethical reporting procedures are sufficient. Aldermen and their staff are currently held accountable for any infraction.
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 do not believe it is necessary to set new limits for lobbying City Hall officials including aldermen. The current restriction,(a minimum of one year),for former City Hall employees doing business with the city is also appropriate.
What's the best book ever written about Chicago? Why?
I believe that the best book ever written about Chicago is CITY OF BIG SHOULDERS: A HISTORY OF CHICAGO by Robert G. Spinney. Spinney traces the events in the city's evolution from a marshland to today's robust metropolis. It is a realistic overview of Chicago's history.
Please list your educational background
I was educated in the Chicago Public Schools system.
Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong
I am a member of the International Free and Accepted Modern Mason- Order of the Eastern Star.
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?
I am currently the Alderman of the 16th Ward. I was elected into this position on April 17, 2007.
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government
I was formerly employed by the Cook County Sheriff's Department.
My daughter is a Senior Investigator with the United States Marshall Service in Washington, DC.
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed
In the 2007 election my five biggest campaign contributors were:
1. CFL - Approximately $500,000
2. AFSCME Council 31 - Approximately $200,000
3. SEIU - Approximately $200,000
4. Citizen Action/Illinois - Approximately $19,000
5. Teamsters-Joint Council 25 - Approximately $10,000
Please paste a brief biography here
Alderman JoAnn Thompson was born on the south side of Chicago. She attended school in the Englewood community.
JoAnn was widowed in December 1992 and is the mother of three adult children and the
grandmother of four children. She has one brother and three sisters. JoAnn has resided in the Englewood community for more than 40 years.
JoAnn was hired by the Cook County Sheriff's Department in 1995. She was promoted to the ran.
of Sergeant in 1998 and to the rank of Lieutenant in 2006.
JoAnn Thompson was elected into the Chicago City Council on April 17, 2007. On May 21, 2007 sh.
was inaugurated as the 54th Alderman of the 16th Ward.
As the Alderman of the 16th Ward, JoAnn Thompson envisions bringing sustainable economics to the ward. Her philosophy: "The Prosperity of a Community is Expressed by the Advancement of its People" can be seen through the efforts of the staff in 16th Ward Service Center as they work tirelessly to put the needs of the residents first.
