FOREST GLEN — One of the leaders of the group that formed to protest the racket made by planes using a new runway at O'Hare Airport will run against Ald. Margaret Laurino to represent the 39th Ward on the Chicago City Council.
Robert Murphy, who was also president of the Forest Glen Community Club for three years, said he would do more at City Hall to advocate on behalf of Far Northwest Side residents outraged by the hundreds more flights over their homes, which had little or no jet noise in previous years.
"People are passionate and prideful on the Northwest Side, and that's not reflected in the 39th Ward office," said Murphy, 51, an architect who lives with his wife and 5-year-old daughter.
Heather Cherone says Murphy understands the long odds:
Laurino declined to comment on Murphy's candidacy Thursday through her spokesman Manuel Galvan. She has represented the 39th Ward, which includes all or portions of Albany Park, North Park, Hollywood Park, Mayfair, Sauganash, Edgebrook, Old Edgebrook, Gladstone Park, Indian Woods and Forest Glen, since 1994.
When she announced in July that she would run for re-election, Laurino said she would focus on reducing O'Hare noise, while pushing for more police officers and firefighters to be hired while advocating for new parks and schools.
Laurino was appointed to the council by former Mayor Richard M. Daley after her father, Ald. Anthony Laurino, was indicted in a ghost payroll scheme and resigned. He was first elected to the council in 1965.
"Fifty years of a Laurino in office is too long," Murphy said. "They answer to City Hall, not the people."
Murphy acknowledges his bid is a longshot — Laurino won more than 75 percent of the vote in 2007 and 2011.
Murphy stepped down from his role on the leadership team of Fair Allocation in Runways Coalition once he launched his campaign to ensure the organization is kept separate from his political campaign, he said.
Murphy said Laurino — who voted for the $6.6 billion O'Hare Modernization Program that included the new east-west runway that now sends traffic over Sauganash, Forest Glen and North Park — has not done enough to lessen the noise's impact on residents of the 39th Ward.
"When push comes to shove, she disappears," Murphy said.
In October 2013, the month the new runway opened, 75 complaints about jet noise were filed by 39th Ward residents. In August, 1,642 complaints were lodged with the city — a more than 2,000 percent increase.
Murphy said he was especially frustrated that Laurino, who was tapped by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be president pro tempore of the council and lead it in his absence, couldn't use her pull at City Hall to get the coalition a meeting with the mayor.
If elected, Murphy said he would follow the lead of Ald. John Arena (45th) and allow residents to spend the ward's discretionary fund through a participatory budget process.
"The 45th Ward residents voted to fund 400 trees," Murphy said. "That would be great for our ward, too."
In addition, a master plan should be completed for the Elston-Armstrong Tax Increment Financing district to allow the community to be meaningfully involved in an in-depth planning process on how to use that money, Murphy said.
Longtime Albany Park resident Joe Laiacona has also announced plans to challenge Laurino.
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