Paul Vallas wants to loosen police chase policies, cap property taxes if elected mayor
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Paul Vallas describes himself as a lifelong public servant. It's why he is running for mayor of Chicago again, after giving a few other statewide offices a shot in the past.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov sat down with the candidate who's also focused on public safety, schools, and keeping people in their homes.
"You have to stop the exodus of officers," Vallas said.
That's step one for Vallas if he's elected mayor. But how?
"If I return the police to normal work schedules; if I return to a strategy of community-based policing where police are covering every beat, they're not being moved all over the city; and if I stop punishing the police for being proactive and responsive," he said.
Vallas said that stopgap would allow the Chicago Police Department not only to recruit new officers, but also lure back those who used to work for the force, including retirees.
"You can incentivize them by simply extending their retiree health care," Vallas said.
Kozlov: "Can the city afford to extend their health benefits or would it be part of the existing police budget?"
Vallas: "Well, look, every budget can be re-prioritized."
Vallas said he also would also replace Chicago Police Supt. David Brown and his entire leadership team, while reviewing certain police policies, like foot chases.
"What I would do is I would allow them to chase, and I would establish sensible rules," Vallas said.
How would he balance the need for restoring effective policing with the stalled court-ordered effort to reform the department through a consent decree?
"Nothing that I've proposed in any way is in any way a violation of the consent decree," Vallas said.
Vallas has been endorsed by the Chicago chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police; a chapter whose controversial president, John Catanzara, has been called "a horrible guy" and "a goof" by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Does that FOP endorsement and his ties to the police union help or hurt him in the mayor's race?
"The rank-and-file vote for the endorsement. Not John Catanzara, or even his executive team," Vallas said.
Vallas also wants to stop the exodus of Chicago residents. He has proposed a property tax cap of 3% per assessment cycle, to keep people from being taxed out of their homes.
Kozlov: "But that's an assessor issue. That covers the assessment formula. How do you do it on an individual basis?"
Vallas: "I think what you do is you work with the assessor to legislate a type of property tax cap that is on individual property."
The former Chicago Public Schools CEO also plans to give more money to individual schools, by getting rid of bloated and unnecessary district-wide contracts and central office employees.
What's one thing people might not know about him? He watches a movie every single night.