Black Suburban Flight, Hispanic Population Gains Throws Wrench in Ward Remaps

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 7, 2011 7:20PM

The population decline in Chicago the past decade will have definite ramifications on ward remaps. How much change we'll see is yet to be determined and 33rd Ward Ald. Dick Mell said the upcoming remaps will be as challenging as he's ever seen.

Ten years ago the ward remap included 20 black wards, 13 white wards, 11 Hispanic wards and six wards with a “majority minority” mix of Hispanics, blacks and Asians. Of the population decrease in Chicago between 2000 and 2010, 90 percent of that change was African Americans leaving the city. 21st Ward Ald. Howard Brookins, chair of the City Council Black Caucus, is determined to hold on to the Council seats currently occupied by African Americans, while 22nd Ward Ald. Ricardo Munoz asks why one-fifth of City Council is Hispanic when a third of the city population is Latin American.

Mell suggested the reason for the disparity is because neighborhoods are more integrated than they were in the past, particularly Hispanics, which he said is more "diffuse' than other voting blocs. Munoz said that may be true, but it can also apply for other blocs.

“So is the white population. We no longer have the days of concentrated neighborhoods. [But] there’s ways of cutting different wards for different purposes. It depends on what the political will is,” Munoz said.

In the majority Hispanic 14th Ward the political will is controlled by Ed Burke, who's run unopposed since the 2000 remap. The City Council Finance and Rules committees will soon hire consultants to begin the process of ward remapping, based on a population of 53,000 residents per ward. Mell said everyone will have to play nice so that the remapping is fair for all.

“I want everybody to come in here with an open mind and understand that, even though your ward may be statistically almost right, the ward next to you could be statistically way off, which will affect everyone."