Crime, Local Economy Are Priorities of Appointed 12th Ward Alderwoman

12th Ward Alderwoman Anabel AbarcaThe top two priorities for Anabel Abarca, the newly appointed, interim alderwoman for Chicago's 12th Ward, are public safety and business development.

"Tackling crime requires a proactive approach from stakeholders," Abarca said. "This means police, homeowners, renters, businesses, principals, teachers, students, seniors and everyone in the community."

Abarca will work with local police and landlords to "identify tenants with gang affiliations or have brought other issues to the community," she said. "I plan on being collaborative with all stakeholders because crime cannot be prevented solely by one party.

"It also means looking at the root causes of certain types of crime and providing resources to prevent what we can," Abarca said.

Up Zoning for 35th Street

To support the McKinley Park neighborhood's business environment, Abarca said she will work closely with 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee to attract businesses along West 35th Street. "We will be working together to up-zone 35th Street," Abarca said.

A screen capture from the Chicago Data Portal shows the McKinley Park neighborhood divided between the 12th Ward (in dark grey) and the 11th Ward.As part of the remapping of Chicago wards tied to 2020 U.S. Census results, the McKinley Park neighborhood has been irregularly divided between the 11th and 12th wards. This includes the neighborhood commercial strip along West 35th Street between South Damen and Marshfield avenues, with the 11th Ward representing the north side of 35th Street, and the 12th Ward representing the south side.

Collaboration and Communication

Abarca said she already has a good relationship with Lee. “I met with her to introduce myself back in September of 2022, and we discussed how our wards can collaborate,” Abarca said.

“We agreed that open communication and collaboration will allow us to best serve McKinley Park,” she said.

Appointed and Running

Abarca is the former chief of staff for ex-12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas, who resigned after winning a seat on the Cook County Board of Review. Cardenas endorsed Abarca as interim alderman. Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed her to the position on December 12, 2022, and the full Chicago City Council ratified the appointment on December 14. Abarca's interim term runs through May.

Abarca also is running to win a four-year term to represent the 12th Ward. Joining her on the February 28, 2023, municipal election ballot are candidates Joseph Mercado and Julia Ramirez.

Three Candidates So Far

Abarca said she has challenged Mercado’s place on the ballot because he “did not file the mandatory disclosures as required by the Chicago Board of Elections.”

The Chicago Board of Elections listed one objection filed against Mercado by Carmela Sanchez and Sandra Letten. Max Bever, director of public information for the board, said that there is no decision in this case yet, and no one has yet been kicked off the ballot. The next hearing to determine this is set for Friday morning, December 23, Bever said.

Mercado could not be reached for comment.

February 28 Election

Ramirez criticized the “lack of transparency and engagement with community members” in the process to select an interim alderman, she said. This is the reason Ramirez chose not to apply to be interim alderman, she said.

"The February 28 election is an opportunity for residents of the 12th Ward to have a voice in addressing the issues impacting our community," Ramirez said.

"This is our opportunity to elect someone who will put the interests of people before profit: a new kind of leadership for the ward, especially for those who have been disenfranchised for so long by the status quo politics of the past," Ramirez said.

Damen Silos

Abarca said she wants to make sure local residents have a say in the sale of state-owned land, in particular the recent successful bidding for the Damen Silos property by Michael Tadin Jr., a co-owner of MAT Asphalt in the McKinley Park neighborhood.

"I will be reaching out to our elected state representatives and senators to ask them to introduce legislation which will require public comment periods for all sales of state-owned land," Abarca said.

Humble Background

"If the contract deal goes through, I will encourage the buyer to develop it in such a way that as much of the land as possible can have riverfront access to the public and be remediated in an environmentally conscious manner," she added.

Abarca credits her success to her humble background as the daughter of two working class immigrant parents. "I was raised to take on challenges head on and not shy away from the hard work," she said. "This instilled a work ethic that means I perform until the job is done."

Degrees and Experience

Her tenacity led to a DePaul University degree in public policy, a Master's degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University and a career as an attorney, supported by her law degree from Loyola University Chicago, Abarca said. She also pointed to her 16 years of experience working in local government.

"The focus of my background and experience means I have knowledge of both the legislative process and the administration of city services, as well as constituent services," Abarca said.

Ed. Note: MAT Asphalt is a Sponsor of the McKinley Park News. For information about our operations and policies, see our About Us page and the Letter from the Editor "Building a Trustworthy News Business."