By April Alonso, Abel Rodriguez, Luis Velazquez, Irene Romulo

Primary municipal elections were held in Berwyn and Cicero on Feb.ruary 23. While all candidates in Cicero ran unchallenged, in Berwyn at least 10 independent candidates challenged members of what Alderman Jose Ramirez called the “political machine” of Berwyn, the Democratic Citizens of Berwyn (DCOB). The DCOB was established in 2006 and this year had a slate of 17 candidates running for office in the primaries.

DCOB’s Mayor Robert Lovero will stay in office for another term beating challenger Brendan O’Connor by just 279 votes. Independent candidates won three seats including Joe Carmichael and Rob Pabon. Jeanine Reardon, from the second ward, lost to DCOB candidate, Richard E. Leja by just two votes, according to records from the Cook County Clerk.

On April 6, Berwyn residents had a chance to vote once again this time in the consolidated elections where DCOB candidates picked up seats in the Berwyn city council and the township.

Now that the primaries are over residents on various local Facebook groups have asked: now what?

Since last year, we have interviewed Cicero and Berwyn residents about elections. Many have expressed not fully understanding the roles of government or how residents can hold local leaders accountable.

Using the issues highlighted by residents in WBEZ and Cicero Independiente’s Citizen’s Agenda survey, we created this field guide with examples of how local residents can get involved in local government. We’ve included background information about the issues, the elected officials who can have a say, along with information on how to reach them and the boards that have the power to make decisions that impact those issues. We hope this guide will be helpful as residents continue to organize post-elections.

The graphics and contact information will be updated as winners are made official by the Cook County Clerk. You can read the official job descriptions for many of these positions here and here.

Environmental Concerns

In the Citizens Agenda survey that was created by WBEZ, environmental concerns were at the top of the list of issues Berwyn and Cicero residents care about.

In 2018, Virginia Tech researchers found that some homes in Cicero and Berwyn had concerning levels of lead in the drinking water. Residents brought forward those concerns in early April 2019 and again in August when the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency sent violation notices to the City of Berwyn for failing to adequately test lead levels in the city’s drinking water.

Independent candidate for City Clerk, Marge Paul echoed similar concerns at a Candidates’ Forum held on February 6 by WBEZ and Cicero Independiente. Referencing the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, Paul said she’d like to see all lead water lines in Berwyn replaced.

One survey respondent said they like to see more “environmental sustainability projects such as permeable pavement to alleviate basement and road flooding” echoing a long-standing concern for many Cicero and Berwyn residents.

In Cicero, residents have been outspoken about their desire to have community-controlled green space and have worried about the environmental impact of industrial facilities in Cicero including a new Amazon warehouse. At least six facilities in Cicero release harmful toxins into our environment that can cause cancer and other health complications according to the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory.

Here are the people that make decisions about our environment.

As the mayor, Mayor Robert Lovero can approve or veto ordinances that are approved by city council. These ordinances become the laws of Berwyn. The mayor also has a say in what priorities are reflected in the budget and what issues get attention. The Mayor is a public servant who should listen to Berwyn residents, one avenue where residents can express concerns is at the City Council meetings. By law, these meetings are open to the public and residents can make a public comment on any topic during the open forum section of the meeting.

As city clerk and President of the Health Board, Paul oversees Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. In the Mckinley neighborhood of Chicago, community residents have used FOIAs to obtain records in their campaign against the MAT Asphalt plant. FOIAs can help residents obtain information about permits, environmental impact studies and even emails about land use.

As the newly elected township supervisor, David J. Avila is also a member of the Board of Health. The mission of the Berwyn Public Health District is to provide medical and sanitation resources to meet the needs of our community and can be consulted about the health impacts of environmental matters.

Aldermen are appointed to city commission and aldermanic committees. Meetings of these commissions and committees are open to the public and based on the Open Meetings Act, should allow for community residents to make public comments and ask questions. Due to the pandemic, the City of Berwyn has started live-streaming some of these meetings on Facebook. Relevant committees for environmental concerns include: Public Works, Parking, Trees, Traffic, Streets & Sewers and Building & Zoning. According to Paul, meetings for committees are posted on the Berwyn website’s community calendar section.

There’s also the Berwyn Park District. While they may not make city-wide policy decisions, they are in charge of Berwyn’s parks and green spaces. Their public meetings are held on the third tuesday of each month.

Immigration

Another issue at the top of the list was immigration. While immigration law is a federal issue, local officials can implement policies and programs, such as expanded immigraiton services at local libraries, that support immigrant communities.

After organizing spearheaded by local activists, faith leaders and grassroots organizations, Berwyn adopted a Welcoming City Ordinance in 2017. The ordinance prevents collaboration between local police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.). Local leaders, however, say that Berwyn should do more to embrace its growing immigrant population, including ensuring that local government is accessible to people whose primary language is Spanish.

In Cicero, at least 20% of the population is undocumented, according to analysis by the Chicago Tribune. In 2017, residents in Cicero also organized to adopt a Welcoming Cicero Ordinance which would include additional provisions than the ordinance adopted in Chicago, including a mandated public reporting of any immigraiton detainer requests. At the time, Town of Cicero officials said an ordinance was not necessary because of the Trust Act and the Town’s Safe Space Resolution.

As the mayor, Mayor Robert Lovero can approve or veto ordinances that are approved by city council. These ordinances become the laws of Berwyn. Mayors can spearhead ordinances and resolutions that advance protections for immigrant communities.

By law, the city clerk oversees Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and puts together the agendas and meeting minutes for all council meetings. Communities across the country have used FOIAs to uncover when their local municipalities are cooperating with I.C.E.

Aldermen are appointed to city commission and aldermanic committees. Meetings of these commissions and committees are open to the public and based on the Open Meetings Act, should allow for community residents to make public comments and ask questions. Due to the pandemic, the City of Berwyn has started live-streaming some of these meetings on Facebook. Relevant committees for COVID-19 concerns include: Human Relations.

As council members, aldermen draft and vote on ordinances, resolutions and policies that become laws. They can make official recommendations to translate documents and can create working groups to research the impact of certain issues. They also approve promotions of certain staff, including police officers, and approve contracts with vendors or government agencies such as I.C.E.

As Police Chief, Chief Michael D. Cimaglia can ensure that police officers do not share information with federal agencies that enforce immigration laws and that they do not ask about immigration status when interacting with people

COVID-19 and Response programs

Over 500,000 people have died in the U.S. due to COVID-19. Cicero and Berwyn have had some of the highest positivity rates and deaths due to COVID-19. Communities of color, particularly Latinx, Black and Indigenous communities have been some of the most impacted by the virus. It's not surprising then that COVID-19 rose to the top of survey respondents’ concerns.

In November of 2020, Mayor Lovero was criticized for not issuing citations to restaurants that chose to defy Governor Pritzker’s ban on indoor dining.Lovero was criticized again when residents complained about waiting weeks to obtain COVID-19 test results from the sites set up by Unified Command,which is led by Lovero. Since then, there have been several mobile testing locations in Berwyn with other providers.

As the mayor, Mayor Robert Lovero can declare a state of emergency, decide what mandates will be enforced by the police or other agencies, appoint advisory board members and he oversees the multi-departmental Unified Command, established in March 2020 to respond to the pandemic. Unified Command was established to “facilitate coordination with all responders including all levels of government”. Among their tasks are providing education and guidance to residents, enforcement of mandates and developing plans with the Cook County Health Department for Public Point of Distribution (POD) of vaccines.

The Berwyn Public Health (BPH) District board provides resources for COVID-19, according to their website. The BPH is tasked with making sure businesses understand and comply with guidelines and issues patrols to identify which bars and restaurants are in non compliance with orders issued by Governor Pritzker, according to Paul. At the Februar 6 candidates forum, Paul said the “Health District should have been given a grade of F” for their failure to inform the community about the seriousness of COVID-19. Paul said that she would like to expand the Health Board to include residents with necessary expertise to provide more input on future responses. The Public Health District is also involved in planning for vaccine distribution.

As township supervisor, David J. Avila is also a member of the Board of Health and oversees the general assistance program for those who don’t qualify for federal assistance. During the February 6 candidates forum, candidate for Township Supervisor, Erika Corona-Owens said “general assistance is meant for individuals that do not qualify for unemployment and are in a pipeline to receive other funds.”
Aldermen are appointed to city commission and aldermanic committees. Meetings of these commissions and committees are open to the public and based on the Open Meetings Act, should allow for community residents to make public comments and ask questions. Due to the pandemic, the City of Berwyn has started live-streaming some of these meetings on Facebook. Relevant committees for COVID-19 concerns include: Outreach and Budget.
As council members, aldermen also consider City expenses, can approve vendors and allocate funds. In October of last year, some aldermen questioned the use of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds to pay for police body cameras after residents expressed concerns.

As Police Chief, Chief Michael D. Cimaglia can ask the City Council to approve contracts and expenses for the police department. Last year, he asked City Council to approve a $3.8 million contract for police body cameras. The contract would be paid for in part by reappropriating funds from the CARES Act.
Cimaglia also serves on the Unified Command board to respond to businesses who do not comply with COVID-19 mitigation measures along with Mayor Lovero and Fire Chief Thomas Hayes.

Police Accountability

In the past, the Berwyn Police Department has been criticized for their “militarized” response to the unrest that took place this past summer in response to the killing of George Floyd and for it’s no-bid contract discussion with Axon, a technology company that would equip the Berwyn police with body cameras and in-car cameras.

Other issues that have been raised in the past include, an independent audit that found that the Berwyn Police Department had significant morale problems, no clear evaluation process for employees and concerns about racial profiling brought forth by local organizations which prompted the creation of a Diversity Commission.

As the mayor, Mayor Robert Lovero can appoint the police chief of Berwyn and release imprisoned individuals in the Berwyn Police Department and address the public on matters that involve the police and relationship to the community.

The city clerk serves as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) officer. Do you want to know how many complaints have been filed against police officers? Or how much money is spent on policing? File a FOIA. This is how the Invisible Institute was able to build a database using records from the Chicago Police Department. They used the records to create this database of police misconduct.

Aldermen are appointed to city commission and aldermanic committees. Meetings of these commissions and committees are open to the public and based on the Open Meetings Act, should allow for community residents to make public comments and ask questions. Due to the pandemic, the City of Berwyn has started live-streaming some of these meetings on Facebook. Relevant committees for COVID-19 concerns include: Human Relations and Housing Committee, Diversity Commission, Fire and Police Commission.
As council members, aldermen approve promotions. For example, earlier this year council members voted to promote Detective David Green to sergeant despite community concerns including Green’s alleged use of excessive force, unreasonable detention and comments he has made on social media against local residents.

As Police Chief, Chief Michael D. Cimaglia can implement departmental policy and has command over police officers. Back in November of last year, members of the Diversity Commission expressed frustration over Cimaglia’s refusal to answer the commission’s questions on topics such as de-escalation training and the use of choke holds.

The Berwyn Board of Fire and Police Commissioners is responsible for addressing and investigating citizen complaints against a police officer. The board can change the operational rules and regulations of the Police and Fire Department and file charges against a member or officer of the fire or police department.

Property Taxes

One of our survey respondents said that property taxes in Berwyn are “suffocating” and Sandra Cervanka asked, “How can long - term residents of a community stay in their homes while taxes are rising around them?” These two residents weren’t the only ones wondering why their property taxes are so high in Berwyn.

Property taxes are determined by the Cook County Assessor's office based on property values. Local tax rates are determined by levy requests submitted by local governments and school districts to the Cook County Clerk's office. A levy request is the amount of money a municipality needs to collect from property taxes to fund city services.

Below are all the offices that have a say in determining your property tax bill.

The Cook County Assessor

Taxing bodies in Berwyn that are funded by residents’ taxes include:
- The City of Berwyn
- The Berwyn Library Fund
- The Berwyn Township
- Berwyn School District 98 and District 100
- J.Sterling Morton High School District 201
- Morton College Community District 527
- Berwyn Park District
The Township Assessor’s duties include helping residents apply for property tax exemptions and tax appeals, like in 2018 when a tax referendum proposed by the Berwyn South School District 100 dramatically raised property taxes. The assessor can host public education events to help residents understand the property tax process.
Aldermen are appointed to city commission and aldermanic committees. Meetings of these commissions and committees are open to the public and based on the Open Meetings Act, should allow for community residents to make public comments and ask questions. Due to the pandemic, the City of Berwyn has started live-streaming some of these meetings on Facebook. Relevant committees for COVID-19 concerns include: Outreach and Budget.
As council members, aldermen can approve or deny proposed tax levies.

School Funding

In Illinois, schools receive most of their money from taxes collected by the county. The amount of money schools receive is based on local property taxes. Many other states received about half of their funding from state governments. According to Stand for Children, a non profit education advocacy group, Illinois schools only receive 25 percent of their funding from the states, seven percent from the federal government and the rest from local taxes.

In 2018, some Berwyn residents saw a drastic increase in their property taxes after a referendum was passed to increase taxes to fund the Berwyn South School District 100.

The Berwyn South School District 100 usually meets on the fourth wednesday of the month. All meetings are open to the public and members of the board are elected officials who serve four year terms. Residents should be able to reach out to them with concerns or ask any questions during the public comment section of the meetings. The Berwyn North School District 98 also has public meetings. The calendar can be found here.
The J.Sterling Morton District 201 oversees the high schools in Cicero and Berwyn. Their board meets on the second wednesday of the month. The full schedule is here.