For 11th Ward Alder
Froylan "Froy" Jimenez
Website: www.froyjimenez11.com
Contact Email: froyjimenez11w@gmail.com
Essay Questions
1. What are the top issues facing the McKinley Park neighborhood area of your ward, and what are your proposed solutions?
- As a CPS teacher and coach my top priority is to empower sound education at all levels including pre-school, elementary school, high school and college or trade schools to give families in our ward opportunities for great upbringing and continued success. This includes proper funding of all schools, active working relationships and proactive communication between the Alderman and the local school councils/school parenting groups, and school administration. This also includes supporiting a wide array of extra curricular activities at schools, the Chicago Park District and with community organizations that foster healthy fun and exercise and well as plenty of community partnerships that encourage community participation and empowerment of our youth. As a dog pet owner, I also want to support the ongoing works to provide plenty of dog park/dog friendly spaces at several locations of the 11th ward and hold more pet vaccination and wellness activities for all those residents that consider their pets also part of their families.
- Public Safety that balances being tough on crime, violence prevention and mutual trust and respect for 1st responders and area residents.
The Chicago Police Department should not be forced to repeatedly send police officers to serve the public knowing full well that its members are not properly rested. Proper time-off for CPD personnel improves their quality of service as there is no profession that improves customer service by overworking and underappreciating its employees. Proper rest save lives: the lives of civilians who would get the benefit of rested officers in better condition to do their job and the lives of officers who may be completely burned out and lack the time to receive the proper mental health help. Proper rest and appropriate staffing levels saves Chicago taxpayers money in the long term and would reduce lawsuits while ensuring that response times to 911 emergency calls are attended to in a timely manner. I wholeheartedly support any city ordinance that protects Chicago police officers and other first responders from excessive work hours that jeopardize public safety and deny workers the respect and dignity we all deserve. Public safety accountability should be holistic accountability that is not limited to policing but equally demand justice from the Cook County States Attorney's office in properly prosecuting violent offenders and not releasing dangerous suspects that could do more harm. I believe in teamwork and look forward to working in collaboration with the new Public Safety commission and teaming up with the elected district council members of the 9th Police District to find local solutions to improve public safety in the 11th ward and surrounding area.
It's a poor use of taxpayer money to use private security firms to patrol the CTA especially if it's done inefficiently. I ride the Orange line and Red lines and from personal experience I can tell you the private security firms need more training, professionalism and if they are going to be K9 patrols than they need to actually use dogs. Undercover teams should ride the "L" cars and be supplemented with uniformed officers all across CTA lines.
- Provide quality city services to all of the 11th ward residents regardless of their ethnic background or what neighborhood they live in a way that prioritizes community needs over insider clout.
As a High School Civics teacher my life revolves around staying informed, teaching about good government, how to positively get involved in our communities, and finding solutions to the problems that plague our neighborhoods.As someone with Springfield legislative experience that's worked in our state's capital, a union member and citywide elected Local School Council Board member I have been outspoken and critical of Mayor Lightfoot's public policies, her lack of leadership, her inefficient administration and the decisions made by her choice to be our voice in the Chicago City Council.I'm not afraid to say it like it is and it is precisely my Independent positions to prioritize our community instead of those that are connected and with insider clout that distinguishes me from all the rest. My courage to speak on behalf of what so many taxpayers and residents feel is unfair that makes me the Alderman that our ward needs. My public record speaks for itself as someone that is independent, well-informed, outspoken, fair, and with the courage to stand up to anyone in order to protect and prioritize the wellbeing of all our neighborhoods.
2. What are the greatest opportunities for improving the McKinley Park neighborhood and the ward, and how would you work to enable this?
There is so much opportunity to take the environmental situation of McKinley Park in a better direction. The hazards that McKinley Park endures with Industrial pollution that negatively affects the health and safety of the families of this community is appaling. More should and will be done on my watch as Alderman. For example, more community input and support will be coordinated with an Alderman that will put the people of McKinley Park and surrounding communities first and not the powerful lobbyiest, connected companies, or influential political donors that have for years been able to get away with polluting our communities. I look forward to working with all residents that want to improve environmental lifestyle in the area including pollution, traffic congestion, bike safety, and more funding and opportunities at McKinley Park and other local parks.
3. How will you ensure that your constituents in the McKinley Park neighborhood will have their voices heard and considered in ward decisions?
Corruption and preferential treatment to those that are connected and unfair services to others is a problem we must correct and that will get turned around when I take office. No more feeling like some areas of the 11th ward are second best and no more neighborhoods or blocks which feel people feel forgotten. I come from a humble background where being fair is essential and public service is for all not just a few who have clout. All residents will all get city services and it does not matter if your live on the east, west, north of south of the ward, all will be included and 11th Ward constituents will have priority not those with clout. I look forward to have a Ward office that is accessible to all, linguistic services that accommodate all communities and community forums and townhalls on relevant topics that affect us all. As an Independent Alderman that does not favor Democrats, Republicans, party bosses or Union bosses but rather people of the 11th Ward, I look forward to using my time and experience teaching civics and good government to lead our neighborhoods in a way that is fair and effective for all.
4. After redistricting, the McKinley Park neighborhood is now irregularly chopped up between the 11th and 12th wards. How will you work with your fellow neighboring City Council representative on issues that straddle both wards, such as the revitalization of the 35th Street commercial corridor?
I'm I high school basketball coach and soccer coach and I know all about team work. I look forward to working alongside the 12 ward Alderperson on many issues.
When it comes to economic revitalization I look forward to working with local business to listen to their views and then come up with a strategic plan that pulls together from various stakeholders to improve economic opportunities such as community input on bringing in the type of businesses that add value and provide more consumer choice for our residents and more jobs in our area. I also look forward to working with the 12th ward on more solutions to the car racing and drifting along Archer Avenue and in other places in our area. Pooling resources and working together we can make progress on these and other mutually beneficial projects.
5. How will you ensure and improve the delivery of City of Chicago services to McKinley Park neighborhood residents and businesses?
In Froy Jimenez you will have an Alderman that is not a "Yes Man" or rubber stamp for anyone. My record confirms that I'm an Independent thinker that has the courage to stand up to powerful forces including the Mayor of Chicago, Governor of Illinois, and others when they act opposite of the best interest of Chicago taxpayers, parents, and students. I will be a vocal champion of the average Chicagoan that wants both critique of bad public decisions but also attention and ability to collaborate on common sense solutions to help our neighborhoods and our city move forward.
6. What past experience, capabilities and capacities make you the best candidate for the job?
As a CPS Civics teacher, with state legislative experience, I'm all about good government, improving public safety and helping overburdened taxpayers. I'm not afraid to call out bad public decisions by any other powerful insiders in order to change our ward and city for the better. I have written several articles in the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune that highlight my capacity to analyze, critique and propose effective public policy that prioritize local taxpayers and help our neighborhoods. I was elected Citywide to the Local School Council Advisory Board (LSCAB) which gives advice to the Chicago Board of Education. I have also been elected several times as Teacher Representative at Local School Council at Hancock HS. I was Chief of Staff to Illinois State Senator Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and work on legislative Issues at Illinois House of Representatives (Springfield and Chicago Office).
I served as Co-Chair of the Chicago Teachers Union Political Action and Legislative Committee and on their Executive Board Member, Chicago Teachers Union. I ran for Illinois State Senator in 2020 and was endorsed for that position by both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune. I am a parent and like many area dads and moms in the area concerned about the quality of opportunities we are able to offer our children including education, health, safety, extra-curriculars, and overall quality of life.
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