Two new aldermen, one veteran on the needs of their wards and the city
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In addition to Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, a host of new City Council members will also be sworn in on Monday.
CBS 2 Streaming Anchor Brad Edwards sat down with three men who will be in the Council – two rookies, incoming Ald. William Hall (6th) and incoming Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st); and one veteran, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), who was elected to a third term this year.
They talked at length with Edwards about water bills and other issues with the city's water system. For four years, we have exposed systematic issues at the Chicago Department of Water Management - leaving Chicagoans getting hosed.
But Edwards also had each alderman have the floor when it came to outlining the needs of the city, and their specific ward. Public safety was an issue that all of them raised.
Hall:
"The 6th Ward, we want a safer ward that includes a strategy working with police. Secondly, investment in mental clinics – we have methadone clinics, but no mental clinics in our ward. The 6th Ward was very supportive of Brandon. I think that collectively, we will give him a chance; give him space to lead. And then last but not least, building together. I mean, you know, the 21st Ward is next door. I mean, we have so many different voices and new faces – but we all have the same commitment, which is a better Chicago."
Mosley:
"I promised the 21st Ward that we'd be a safe and thriving ward. I'm thinking about the residents who are just surviving right now, and they deserve better quality of life. They need police service that will respond in a timely fashion – and then have beat integrity. That's something that I've heard from businesses and residents alike – that we need beat integrity back. We need to make sure that our resources and our communities are being utilized to their fullest potential."
Villegas:
"We're not going to defund the police. We're going to make sure that we're funding them at the proper level. But we also need to make investments in the root cause of violence. We're going to be accountable. We're going to deliver city services. We're going to make sure, lastly, that we're making efforts to get economic development up and running. During this pandemic, we saw that there was an issue around violence. This is the best city in the world. We've got to change that narrative. And I think with a new City Council and a new administration, we'll be able to do it."
Watch that and more of the aldermen's conversation with Edwards above.