By: Eli Brottman, Policy Director, CHANGE Illinois

Amidst much other hubbub on the federal, state, and city level, a few weeks ago, there was another story many of us missed: Walter Redmond Burnett, son of longtime alderperson Walter Burnett, Jr., was appointed to the 27th Ward seat vacated by Burnett, Jr.. He was confirmed by city council in late September.

We are not here to question the qualifications of the younger Burnett. He has certainly amassed significant professional experience and civic engagement. 

What we are concerned about is the process by which he was appointed. His father, Mayor Johnson’s hand-picked Vice Mayor, stepped down in the middle of his term, conveniently allowing the Mayor to appoint a successor. The Mayor then quietly assembled a 4-person selection committee, consisting of Ald. Michelle Harris, an ally of Burnett, Jr., along with three community members who are also close to the former Alderman. Two of those three community members were donors to his campaign, and the other had been paid by the campaign. The group met in a closed room and proceeded to recommend Walter Redmond Burnett to the mayor from a field of seven applicants.

This process completely lacked transparency and community input. There were no public hearings, and the applicants’ resumes were tucked away on a relatively unknown website with no way to provide input or suggestions. We would like to propose an alternative process that would maintain the process of appointment by the Mayor, while making it community-centered.

We propose a community-driven process in which selection committee members are independently selected to make recommendations to the Mayor. This process should consist of independent selection of commissioners, followed by a series of public hearings, just as was done in the independent ward mapping process commissioned by CHANGE Illinois in 2021. The commission should consist of at least five members and should reflect the racial, cultural, and religious diversity of the ward being represented.

Hearings conducted by the commission should take place at a variety of times, including ample evenings, weekends, and at least two virtual options, and should take place in all languages spoken by at least 5% of ward residents. Notice of these hearings should be provided to community members via email lists from the outgoing alderperson, social media, and any other means practicable. The government should be proactively reaching out to the people, not the other way around.

After those hearings afford community members the opportunity to provide public comment, the commission would meet in closed session to consider all feedback. They would make two recommendations from the applicants, from which the Mayor would choose one. This parallels the structure of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability selection process, from which multiple finalists are selected.

The Mayor would provide the public with a written statement of their rationale for selecting the candidate chosen, to ensure full accountability and transparency. The commission would also produce a report on the entire process, including the selection of commissioners, public comment received, and the process of choosing two finalists. That report should be made widely available to the public and the press within 60 days of the new alderperson being seated.

We urge the city council to consider an alternative appointment process that centers on community input and transparency, and we welcome any discussions about this proposal. At the end of the day, residents of Chicago should be able to choose the elected officials who are responsible for their neighborhoods, and in this current process, that does not happen. We wish Walter Redmond Burnett the best as he begins his term, and we hope that voters will have the opportunity to elect him in a fair and open election soon.