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Dear John,
I am running for reelection as your 32nd Ward Alderman in the February 2027 municipal election and I am asking for your support. I hope you'll stand with me as we keep this city moving forward.
This election is about the Chicago we build together — a city that works for every neighborhood and every family, led with independence and integrity. Chicagoans deserve a city that works — where all families can afford to live, where all our neighborhoods feel safe, where businesses can grow, and where City Hall solves problems instead of creating them. That's the Chicago I've spent my career fighting for as an independent, reform-minded voice on the City Council and I hope to gain your support for the next term in Council.
Public safety, a strong quality of life, and an affordable city are some of the top priorities for me — working hand in hand with residents, businesses, and our city workers — and that commitment will continue into the next term.
Whether you call Bucktown, Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, or Wicker Park your neighborhood, I take my responsibility to serve you seriously, and I will continue to do that as your Alderman.
Despite the challenges we face, I remain proud of our ward and city and will strive to do better each day on many of the issues and concerns we face. I've done this work with your input and assistance, making our ward and city a great place to live.
Public Safety - Residents are always concerned about the safety of their community and families. It has been a top priority to keep our communities safe since I was first elected and will continue to be. I will continue to work closely with our community members, our first responders and the State's Attorney to keep our communities safe.
Cost of Living- During my time as your Alderman, I have worked to make sure your tax dollars are spent wisely. I will continue to work to rein in rampant spending and inefficiencies by the Johnson Administration that sap our resources and lead directly to waste and higher taxes. During my time as Finance Chairman in the City Council we cut spending saving millions, had several years of successive credit rating increases, and a positive financial outlook for the City. We continue to fight for that despite the downturn over the past few years.
Our homes and property taxes- I work diligently to keep our taxes as low as possible, fighting against corruption by officials, waste and inefficiencies in government while doing what I can to work with our counterparts in the county, state and federal governing bodies to ease the financial burden on all of us. City finances are not a game, and I treat your tax dollars with the importance and seriousness they deserve.
Housing- Our ward continues to be one of the most prolific city wards in terms of development of all kinds of new housing. Our communities have a great mix of single-family homes, multi-units and mid-rises that all complement each other and make for great neighborhoods. Most recently, we have broken ground on the redevelopment of Lathrop homes after years of neglect when it sat in the 1st Ward, and this will entail a redesign of the site with hundreds of new housing units, including hundreds of public housing and affordable units. We have also moved forward on the Foundry Park development with 3,500 new housing units. Both of these projects will provide hundreds of affordable units to people living in our ward. Each of these areas will see significant improvements to the area infrastructure as well, after collaborating with our community groups to move these projects forward. I believe we need to continue growing our communities through new development that complements and improves our existing neighborhoods, as I’ve sought to do throughout my time in office.
Parks - Over the past few years, we have increased the amount of green space in the ward through new or rehabbed parks, community play areas, and large projects like the Bloomingdale Trail. When projects like Foundry Park move forward this fall, we will also see an increase in river trails and access. I want to continue to improve the assets for our children to use and enjoy well into the future, so building up spaces for kids to play, so we can coach, watch and enjoy time with our families is very important to me.
Schools- We have great public and private schools in the 32nd Ward, but like each parent, I want to continue to improve on safety issues and school facilities. My wife and I have two kids in public schools and we know what it takes for parents to make sure their children succeed. I will continue to work with our LSC’s, parent groups and our elected school board officials to improve our learning environments for our children today and future generations.
Transportation and Infrastructure - Our residents and businesses want safe public transit, roads, bike routes, and pedestrian walkways that prioritize safety and accessibilty. Working on creating a community that is one of the safest in the City for families has always been a top priority. We look to the state and federal government and our partners to help us keep our roads, lighting, sewers and water system running at the highest level. While we can always use more funds, our limited city funds are shared equally throughout the ward as they have been since I started as Alderman.
Business Community- Our business community, made up of retail, restaurants, manufacturers, and everyone in between, is strong and is the economic backbone of our neighborhoods and our city. We work with our small, medium and large businesses on everything from taxes, infrastructure and business policy issues. They create jobs, fund vital services, and keep Chicago running. I'm proud of how our local economy continues to thrive as we support them in making our neighborhoods great.
Governing in Chicago has become more complex and requires expertise to do it right. This requires us to continue to work together to solve the issues for people living here now and our future generations of Chicagoans. I am hopeful that as your Alderman over the next 4 years, we will continue to solve problems and to make our city a better place for all.
As with all elections, we have to work to get on the ballot for February 27th (see more below on helping me to get on the ballot) and I hope you will support good government and move this City forward with me. To learn more about what we have been doing, you can sign up for my weekly newsletters, updates on projects and position papers on www.ward32.org, and more on www.scottforchicago.com.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. And I will see you out there in our neighborhoods!
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