A Government That Listens, Shows Up, and Works Like It's 2026
Most people's experience of government isn't a policy, it's a phone call that goes unanswered, a form they can't figure out, a meeting they never heard about. If we want people to believe that a strong local government can work for them, the ward office itself has to prove it, every single day.
I've spent my career trying to make that possible. At Deloitte's Government and Public Services practice, I've stood shoulder to shoulder with state and local government leaders asking a simple question: what technology and processes have existed for consumers in the private sector for years, and why can't we apply them to something as basic as a Medicaid application? I've learned how to build teams, how to stretch budgets, and how to cut through bureaucracy. And I've come away with one conviction above all others: that local government, done right, is the most powerful force for change in our daily life.
That means three things in practice. It means a constituent services operation built with the same discipline and accountability as the best private-sector organizations, where every request is tracked, followed up on, and resolved. It means using emerging technology, including artificial intelligence, thoughtfully and transparently, as a tool to serve residents better, not to replace the human relationships that make a ward office actually work. And it means treating public money with the same laser focus I bring to client budgets at Deloitte, publishing what we spend, explaining why, and being willing to defend every dollar in public.
This ward deserves a government that shows up. Here's what that looks like:
- Build a constituent services operation that actually works.I've spent my career helping governments modernize how they serve people, and I'll bring that same approach to this ward office. Real case tracking so no request falls through the cracks. Multilingual support so language is never a barrier. A team that follows up until something is actually resolved. When you call this office, someone answers. When you submit a request, you hear back. That's not a high bar. It's just not how most ward offices work today.
- Make sure no one in this ward loses their healthcare or SNAP benefits over a form.Starting in 2027, new federal rules will require Medicaid and SNAP recipients to regularly prove they meet work requirements,[1] and past experience shows that most people who lose coverage under rules like these lose it to paperwork, not ineligibility.[2] My office will proactively reach out to ward residents facing these deadlines, with reminders and in-person assistance, especially for seniors and residents without reliable internet access. Washington may be making this harder. This office will make it easier.
- Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging tech to serve residents.Chicago has published AI guiding principles, but principles aren't policy. As AI tools become embedded in how government operates, from processing applications to routing service requests, residents deserve to know exactly when AI is being used on their behalf, what data is being used, and who is accountable when something goes wrong. I'll advocate at the council level for binding, enforceable AI governance standards for city operations, not just aspirational guidelines, and in this ward office, I'll use AI where it genuinely helps residents: drafting plain-language summaries of complex city processes, identifying residents approaching benefits deadlines, and making it easier to navigate city services, while always keeping a real person accountable for the outcome.
- Fight for fiscal responsibility, and actually read the budget.Chicago is facing a structural budget deficit that isn't going away on its own, and for too long the City Council has treated the mayor's proposed budget as something to approve, not scrutinize. I won't do that. I'll go through the city budget line by line, push back on accounting gimmicks and deferred costs that make this year's numbers look better by making next year's worse, and vote against measures that ask ordinary residents to absorb costs that should be shared more broadly. And I'll publish an annual plain-language report on how every ward discretionary dollar was spent and what it produced, so residents don't have to take my word for it.
- Create a Ward Council with real teeth.Within the first 60 days of taking office, I'll hold elections for neighborhood representatives to a Ward Council. These councils will meet regularly, receive real information about what's happening in the ward - budgets, development proposals, TIF spending, crime data - and have genuine input into priorities. Not a chance to ask questions at the end of a meeting. Real participation, built into how this office operates from day one.
- Celebrate this community, loudly and often.The West Side has a history worth honoring and a culture worth celebrating. I'll build community events into the regular rhythm of this office - well-organized, well-promoted gatherings that bring residents together around the history and pride of this neighborhood. The West Side's story deserves to be told loudly, and this office will tell it and celebrate it.