SOUTH SHORE — Seventh Ward constituents worried that Ald. Sandi Jackson would be replaced with a mayoral loyalist found some relief in Rahm Emanuel’s picks for the applicant screening committee.
“We are pleased to see such a diverse mix of people at the table,” said TeResa Gaddis of EDGE Community Partnership, a group focused on community building in South Shore. “We think that diverse thinking can only add to the evaluation process, given that the individuals can contribute a particular point of view.”
Emanuel must wade through more than 50 applications for the appointment to replace Jackson, who resigned from her City Council post earlier this month.
On Monday, the mayor’s office announced a five-person panel to help winnow down the candidates to three or four, who the mayor will interview next month. The panel includes South Shore community activists and clergy and representatives from City Council and the mayor’s office.
Emanuel is expected to appoint a replacement for Jackson late next month.
The panel is also coming as a relief to some candidates.
“I am excited to see the process is moving forward and encouraged that individuals with diverse experiences and perspectives have been selected to review applications,” said Mia Henry, a candidate for the 7th Ward post and an organizing member of the community group Reclaim South Shore for All.
South Shore residents will hear from Henry and some of the other candidates at a Friday candidates forum organized by EDGE Community Partnership. The group said it was aware of more than a dozen candidates and was inviting all to the 6 p.m. forum at Christ Bible Church of Chicago, 7787 S. Coles Ave.
