Hispanic Aldermen File Ward Remap

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 15, 2011 11:40PM

Mayor Emanuel may be expressing public confidence that City Council can remap the wards to satisfy everyone, but we wonder what he may be saying privately after 16 aldermen, including the entire City Council Latino Caucus, filed their version of the redistricted wards with the City Clerk's office today. This only serves to further heighten the tensions between African American, Hispanic and White aldermen who have been unable to find common ground on a map in which all can agree.

The new map lists 17 African American wards and 13 Hispanic wards. That's a loss of two African American wards while the Hispanic wards increase by three. Hispanic Caucus chair and 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis said this is a "fair and legal" map for all parties.

"We’re going to be able to withstand legal challenges that would otherwise cost the taxpayers of the city of Chicago anywhere between $20 and $30 million."

The City Council Black Caucus is fighting to hang on to the currently mapped 19 African American wards, despite a population decline in the black population in the 2010 Census.

The filing came after 33rd Ward Ald. Dick Mell tried to work up a map that would appease the Black Caucus.

“I believe my African American colleagues will also file a map, and then we’re going to have something that in my opinion does not make any sense for anybody,” Mell said. “At that point, then I don’t know what the answer is going to be. Maybe a computer should draw the map at that point. I don’t know.”

The last time a referendum was held on a ward remap was in 1990. If a resolution cannot be reached, public hearings on the ward remapping could cost the public $30 million. 40th Ward Ald. Patrick O'Connor, Emanuel's City Council floor leader, echoed Emanuel's message that a compromise could be reached.

“There could be a vote in the City Council and those that prevailed would get the map they chose and those that were not on the prevailing side could accept that as the answer,” O’Connor said in a bit of wishful thinking. “Most members of the City Council understand that No. 1, a referendum is a very expensive proposition. It is a very divisive proposition if it moves forward.”

41 votes are needed for a remap to avoid a referendum. In addition to the eight Latino Caucus members, the other aldermen who signed off on the map were Bob Fioretti (2nd); John Pope (10th); James Balcer (11th); Marty Quinn (13th); Scott Waguespack (32nd); Michele Smith (43rd); John Arena (45th); and James Cappleman (46th). Below is the filed Latino Caucus proposal.

Proposed Chicago Ward Remap