When the municipal election rolls around every four years, the emphasis is always on the mayor and the aldermen. But there are other city jobs open at the same time, including the city treasurer and the city clerk. At one point, the upcoming election for city clerk had three potential candidates. But because of the political process, two were knocked off the ballot. That left the current city clerk without an opponent. Do you even know her name? That office was formerly held by Suzanne Mendoza who has since moved on to fill the state comptroller job. Mendoza had barely occupied that office when she decided to run for mayor of Chicago.
The current city clerk, Anna Valencia was put in place by Rahm Emanuel to fill the unexpired term of Mendoza, who had moved on to the comptroller’s office. With no one challenging her on the ballot, Valencia is seen as an easy win. She doesn’t have to explain any of her ideas or controversial initiatives. Nor is she being held accountable. Because of Chicago’s winner-takes-all election rules, as long as she gets over 50% of the vote, she’s won.
What should be a cinch, now has a little glitch. William Dock Walls has filed with the Board of Elections to be a candidate for the city clerk’s job, albeit as a write-in. A write-in candidacy is an uphill battle. First, people have to know that you are a candidate for the job. Then they have to take the time to choose to write in that person’s name. It can be done, as recently proven by Cam Davis who last year won a seat on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Bill Dock Walls would make an excellent City Clerk. His innovative ideas have forever been stifled by the media because he was running for mayor. However in the role of city clerk, he can still implement those ideas. One of the ideas I have been pushing is that the city stickers glow in the dark. Thus, if you don’t have a city sticker on your car, you can’t be parked on Chicago city streets from 2 a.m. until 6 am. Temporary stickers could be bought at the local currency exchange. The goal would be to get all of those people who have cars registered in the suburbs — while actually living in the city — to buy a sticker. Chicago needs all its revenue. And those who cheat the system should not so easily get away with it.
To learn more, visit wallsforcityclerk.com.
