WEST ENGLEWOOD — All four 16th Ward candidates who participated in the Englewood Votes! aldermanic forum on Saturday, had different solutions for handling the abandoned buildings and vacant lots in the ward.
Englewood Votes! presented the Englewood Political Symposium at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, 6130 S. Wolcott Avenue. Throughout the day, candidates from the 6th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 20th wards participated in forums for their ward.
Ald. JoAnn Thompson (16th) did not attend.
Ald. Toni Foulkes (15th) is running against Thompson in this election because the new ward map puts 40 percent of her constituents in the 16th Ward, she said. Foulkes said she has been fighting for the people for years, calling herself an “independent voice.”
“I have been an independent voice, the voice of the people for the last eight years in City Hall and I will continue to be an independent voice, your voice, only your voice in City Hall and the day I can’t be your voice is the day I will quit being alderman,” she said.
But 27-year-old challenger Stephanie Coleman, the daughter of former 16th Ward Ald. Shirley Coleman, said that her youthfulness is what the community needs.
“I can do more in eight months than what this alderman has done in the last eight years,” she said. “I am a game changer,” Coleman said.
During the debate, Foulkes listed ordinances that she has co-sponsored aimed at preventing homelessness, including one that would help renters stay in homes after banks foreclose on them
Coleman said some of her plans consist of working with contractors who are willing to offer young people apprenticeships and internships so they can learn a trade
“Letting them work right in their own neighborhood and being able to say ‘I did the drywall on that building’ will make them more proud of where they’re from,” Coleman said, adding that beautifying the community would begin to attract businesses.
Challenger Jose A. Garcia said that if elected he would work closely with neighborhood churches and community organizations to locate local tradesmen to help fix up abandoned homes that otherwise would be torn down.
“My goal is to save those abandoned properties from being demolished and give those houses back to the community,” Garcia said.
Challenger Cynthia Lomax said she would work on holding property owners accountable and would work to put gardens on vacant lots. She said the vegetables and fruits can be sold in the new Whole Foods Market on 63rd Street when it opens.
“By selling it through the store, we’d also be bringing in revenue that could stay right here in the community,” Lomax said.
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