City Clerk Reveals A Truly Inoffensive City Sticker

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 17, 2012 9:40PM

Here it is, damas y caballeros: This is your 2012 Chicago city sticker. Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza's office unveiled the sticker design during a press conference today where she also announced some changes to how the stickers will be sold.

But first, let's look at the sticker, shall we? Designed in house by Mendoza's office, it should pass the muster of everyone from Mayor Rahm Emanuel to anonymous, sociopathic police bloggers. You'll remember it was "Detective Shaved Longcock" who first saw gang signs in the hands of Herbert Pulgar's winning city sticker contest entry where most everyone else saw those hands throwing hats into the air. Pulgar's design was later scrapped by Mendoza's office while Caitlin Henehan, who was runner-up to Pulgar in the contest, refused to allow her entry to be used as a replacement, bringing us to today's unveiling. Mendoza said the hullabaloo over Pulgar's design was "unfortunate, and that "we've moved past that."

Mendoza also announced online city sticker sales will commence April 23. City stickers, residential parking permits and dog registrations will be sold on an upgraded website called EZBuy. The online city sticker sales launch date is three weeks earlier than last year.

For those of you still skeptical of e-commerce, in-person city sticker sales will begin May 1, a month earlier than last year. City Clerk spokeswoman Kristine Williams said, “We are hoping by stretching out the city sticker season will make lines shorter, reduce overtime and mail orders will process faster. This is the year we take a step towards hopefully, eventually having year round sales.”

Mendoza's office is also rolling out a program where motorists afraid their sticker purchase will get lost in the mail will call pickup option at any of the City Clerk’s offices. Ward sales for stickers begin May 16.