With the Chicago mayoral race starting, we asked readers what issue is most important. Here’s what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
“Housing — increasing the supply despite neighbors’ objections. Eliminating aldermanic privilege.”
— Kelly Kleiman
“I’m mainly concerned about property tax relief for seniors; we’ve paid our share for decades now.”
— Christine Bock
“The most important thing to me is finding the root cause of things. Be proactive, not reactive. Example: the CTA figured out people jumping the turnstile led to more crime, so they have started to fix that.”
— Dean R. Martin
“Housing prices, transit, electric scooters on the sidewalks.”
— Lori Miller Barrett
“Developing a structure that is sustainable pertaining to public employees’ pension plans. Kicking the problem down the road has created a massive burden on taxpayers.”
— P. Teodo
“The continued infrastructure investments on the South and West sides of Chicago. The West Side, in particular, has been disinvested in for years.”
— Larry Williamson
“Public safety comes first. We need leadership that backs law enforcement, protects law-abiding citizens and spends taxpayer dollars responsibly. That’s why I’ll be voting for the most conservative candidate.”
— Brian Allen
“Improving mass transit, cycling infrastructure, walkability.”
— Jean Pabon
“I’m tired of the culture war BS and would prefer local government continue to focus on real issues such as public safety, taxes, and supporting small businesses. The Hispanic communities will need extra support as the ICE debacle has crippled local businesses in some neighborhoods.”
— Ernest Krolick
“Underfunded pension liabilities, transportation, infrastructure, housing and paying for it all.”
— Carlos Javier Ochoa Andrade
“Cost of living: rent is too high, food costs too much, and seniors are having a hard time aging in place.”
— Gerald Farinas
“No more hiring cops. Use that money to help reduce poverty in this city, better education and housing.”
— Jim Lonergan