Interview with Ald. Felix Cardona, Jr.
Ald. Cardona Is Looking Forward to Electronic Voting at the City Council
Alderperson Felix Cardona, Jr., of the 31st Ward cited more transparency with regard to voting in response to League interviewer Margaret Herring’s question about how to improve the workings of the City Council. He is looking forward to the implementation of electronic voting, which should begin soon. Electronic voting will allow each alderperson to use an iPad at their desk to vote on each motion. The motion under consideration, along with each alderperson’s vote, will then be projected on a large screen for everyone to see.
Watch the full interview, which premiered on February 24.
A few highlights include:
Like most alderpersons, Ald. Cardona cited public safety as a top issue in the 31st Ward. He is pleased that some of the money from the American Rescue Plan Act is being used to increase community involvement by supporting street outreach efforts. He also wants to see more investment in youth programs in order to give young people a sense of belonging, as well as job skills training. Citing his own youth experience, he explained the importance of summer park district activities. However, he would like to see more free programs offered by the district now.
His northwest side ward, mainly residential, includes the neighborhoods of Cragin, Belmont Cragin, Avondale, and West Logan Square.
One of the issues he is researching now is how an ordinance could be structured so that seniors who own two-flats would be able to get a discount on garbage collection fees.
Ald. Cardona was first elected in 2019, and he said he always “blames” his father, who was very involved in the community, for the decision to run for office. His father came from Puerto Rico to Chicago in the 1960s and helped create a credit union for Latinos who had previously had trouble getting loans. The alder also learned hard work from his father, starting at age four at the two bodegas that the senior Cardona owned.
Be sure and notice the background behind Ald. Cardona during the interview. It is a photo of a mural located in a nearby store that, he believes, captures the essence of his ward, including the origins of the residents, with the many flags shown from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Central and South America.