Interested in Serving on a District Council?

APPLY NOW FOR THE VACANCIES IN THE 2ND AND 17TH DISTRICTS

17th District Council

On August 31, 2024, 17th District Council Member Steve Spagnolo will officially resign, vacating his seat on the Council. The remaining members of the 17th District Council, Councilors Elizabeth Rochford, and Anthony Tamez, will accept applications for the vacancy until Monday, September 16, 11:59 PM. If you are selected for an interview, they will be scheduled the last week of September. After the interviews, Councilors will announce their recommendations to the Commission at an open public meeting on Monday, September 30th. The Commission will then review the three recommendations with the goal of selecting one candidate to recommend to the mayor by October 30, 2024.   

 

Instructions for applying for the vacancy: 

  1. Click here to complete and submit an application form.
  2. Email your resume or biography to Anna.Mangahas@cityofchicago.org. 
  3. The deadline to submit the application and resume or biography is Monday, September 16, 2024, 11:59 PM 

 The 17th District Council will accept applications on a rolling basis. However, for optimal consideration, please submit your application as soon as possible. 

 

 Process for District Council Recommendations for the Vacancy: 

  • The remaining members of the 17th District Council have opened an application for the vacancy. 
  • As applications come in, the Councilors will review the applications. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified on Friday, September 20th. 
  • Interviews will take place on September 24 – 25 and if needed on Sepetmber 27. 
  • Recommendations will be voted on and announced at a public meeting of the 17th District Council on Monday, September 30th. 

 

Qualifications for Serving on the Vacancy: 

  • You must have lived in the 17th Police District for the last 365 days preceding the date of appointment by the mayor (estimated December 2024). 
  • You must be registered to vote in the 17th Police District. 
  • You must not have been employed by the Chicago Police Department, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or the Police Board within the last three years preceding the date of appointment by the mayor. 
  • Per state law, you must not have been convicted of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony, unless you received a pardon from the Governor that included restoration of the right to hold office. 
  • Per state law, if you have any debts with the City of Chicago, you must agree to either pay off all your debts to the City of Chicago or enroll in a payment plan by the time you take the oath of office. 
  • You must be willing to submit all necessary ethics and financial disclosure information required by the City. 

 

MEET THE 17TH DISTRICT APPLICANTS

                                     Grace                    Paddy           

                                     Brian                     Charles    

                                     Ben                        Augusto

                                     Logan                    Kenneth

                                     Luis                        Liam

 2nd District Council

On August 31, 2024, 2nd District Council Member Julia Kline will officially resign, vacating her seat on the Council. The remaining members of the 2nd District Council, Councilors Ephraim Lee and Alexander Perez, will accept applications for the vacancy until Monday, September 16, 5:00 PM. If you are selected for an interview, they will be scheduled on September 21 - 22. After the interviews, Councilors will announce their recommendations to the Commission at an open public meeting.. The Commission will then review the three recommendations with the goal of selecting one candidate to recommend to the mayor by October 30, 2024.   

 

Instructions for applying for the vacancy: 

  1. Click here to complete and submit an application form.  
  2. Email your resume and three letters of recommendation to Charles.Blackwell@cityofchicago.org. 
  3. The deadline to submit the application and resume or biography is Monday, September 16, 2024, 5:00 PM 

The 2nd District Council will accept applications on a rolling basis. However, for optimal consideration, please submit your application as soon as possible. 

 

Process for District Council Recommendations for the Vacancy: 

  • The remaining members of the 2nd District Council have opened an application for the vacancy. 
  • As applications come in, the Councilors will review the applications. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified by Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability staff. 
  • Interviews will take place on September 21 - 22. 
  • Recommendations will be voted on and announced at a public meeting of the 2nd District Council on Monday, September 30th.

  

Qualifications for Serving on the Vacancy: 

  • You must have lived in the 2nd Police District for the last 365 days preceding the date of appointment by the mayor (estimated December 2024). 
  • You must be registered to vote in the 2nd Police District. 
  • You must not have been employed by the Chicago Police Department, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or the Police Board within the last three years preceding the date of appointment by the mayor. 
  • Per state law, you must not have been convicted of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony, unless you received a pardon from the Governor that included restoration of the right to hold office. 
  • Per state law, if you have any debts with the City of Chicago, you must agree to either pay off all your debts to the City of Chicago or enroll in a payment plan by the time you take the oath of office. 
  • You must be willing to submit all necessary ethics and financial disclosure information required by the City. 

Current District Council vacancies

What are District Councils?
Who is eligible to serve on the District Councils?
How much time does it take to be a District Council member?
Are District Council members paid?
What do I need to do if I want to run?

What are District Councils?

District Councils represent each of the City’s 22 police districts. They are made of three people elected in regular municipal elections every four years, starting in February 2023. But anyone can participate in District Council work, and the more people who participate, the more effective the District Councils can be. The District Councils have several key roles:

  • Building stronger connections between the police and the community at the district level, where the community is a true partner in making the neighborhood safer. They can work with the police to solve problems and set priorities.
  • Collaborating in the development and implementation of community policing initiatives.
  • Holding monthly public meetings, where residents can work with the police on local initiatives rooted in community concerns and priorities. They can also raise and work to address concerns about policing in the district, and increase accountability.
  • Working with the community to get input on police department policies and practices.
  • Working to develop and expand restorative justice and similar programs in the police district.
  • Ensuring that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability gets input from the community, so that the Commission’s work will be based on what people in neighborhoods across the city are concerned about.
  • Nominating members of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Anyone who serves on the Community Commission must first have the support of elected District Council members.

 (Source: Municipal Code of Chicago, 2-80-070(a) and (e))

Who is eligible to serve on the District Councils? 

  • You must be a registered voter
  • You must have lived in the police district where you want to run for at least one year before the election
  • You can’t be a member of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
  • You can’t have been an employee of the Chicago Police Department, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), or the Police Board any time in the three years preceding inauguration
  • Under state law, you can’t owe money to the City of Chicago, or have been convicted of a felony, unless it was expunged

 (Source: Illinois Municipal Code, 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5, and Municipal Code of Chicago, 2-80-070(b))

How much time does it take to be a District Council member?

  • District Councils are new, so the time commitment is uncertain, but anticipate that it will take about 20 hours per month.

 Are District Council members paid? 

  • District Council members receive a stipend of $500 every month.

What do I need to do if I want to run? 

The next municipal election will take place in February 2027. Prior to that election, you will need to do the following:

  • File a Statement of Candidacy with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners
  • Gather signatures on nominating petitions from eligible voters who support you and file them with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners
    • The number of signatures you need depends on the number of registered voters in your police district. It’s probably between 300-700 signatures
    • You can start collecting signatures in August 2026
    • You must submit signed petitions in November 2026
  • File a Statement of Economic Interest with the Cook County Clerk by a date in November 2026 (date to be determined)
  • File a Statement of Financial Interest with the City of Chicago Board of Ethics within five days of qualifying as a candidate
  • If you accept campaign contributions or spend more than $5000 on your campaign, you’ll need to file campaign disclosure documents with the Illinois State Board of Elections

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