Mary Ann Smith

Mary Ann Smith is alderman of the 48th ward of the City of Chicago; she was appointed in 1989 by Mayor Richard M. Daley to replace Kathy Osterman;^[1] she was first elected in 1991. On February 27, 2007 she was re-elected to her fifth full term of office.^[2]

Appointment

In 1989 48th ward Alderman Kathy Osterman stepped down to take a post with the Daley administration. Mayor Daley filled her aldermanic vacancy by appointing Mary Ann Smith, who had been Osterman's chief aide.^[1]

Aldermanic career

Smith earned a United Nations Programme Award for Citizen Action to Protect the Global Environment. She worked with the Chicago Park District to restructure their department and provide more recreational access to all Chicagoans. Smith is on the Advisory Council on Chicago Green Development.^{[citation needed]}

Smith has tried to implement innovative ideas in her ward, employing new alternative energy and flood control technology. The city’s first water permeable alley was installed in her ward, the system allows for rain gardens to divert water from the sewer system.^{[citation needed]}

In 2000, Smith helped organize the funding for Walkable Edgewater. Smith earned an award from the Chicago Civic Federation and a Soles and Spokes award from the Chicago Area Transportation Study.^{[citation needed]}

Smith was an early supporter of the Human Rights Ordinance and the Domestic Partner Ordinance.^{[citation needed]}

As a member of the city council, Smith is Chairperson on the Parks and Recreation Committee. Smith serves on seven additional committees: Budget and Government Operations; Buildings; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Finance; Historical Landmark Preservation; License and Consumer Protection; and Traffic Control and Safety.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005 Smith was instrumental in the controversial decision to open Rickover Naval Academy in the facilities of Senn High School. This decision met with intense opposition from residents and anti-war activists concerned about military recruitment of the community's poor.^[3][4]

Smith worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to draft the proposed Elephant Protection Ordinance, which if adopted would mandate humane treatment of elephants within the City.^[5][6] After two unsuccessful attempts at passage, Smith on December 16, 2009 for the third time introduced the ordinance.^[7]

In 2007 Smith ran unopposed for re-election to a fifth term after Smith got two of her supporters, Susanne J. Henning and Albert L. Lewis, to file with the Chicago Board of Elections objections to her opponent's nominating paperwork.^[8][9]

Smith used the 48th ward aldermanic expense account to reimburse $27,428 in costs initially covered by her campaign committee. Of that amount, more than $7,000 was spent on computer equipment, and $20,000 was paid to a lawyer for research on issues ranging from Medicaid fraud to animal cruelty.^[10]

Smith was one of the top three alderman lagging in spending so-called "aldermanic menu" funds, which allows aldermen to choose from a menu of street, sidewalk, alley and anti-crime improvements.^[11]

Smith appeared in the documentary Uptown: Portrait of a Palace about Chicago's Uptown Theatre.

On July 2, 2010, in response to the overturning of the Chicago handgun ban by the Supreme Court, she said "that law was written for militias and, “they guaranteed the right to carry around muskets not Uzis."^[12]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Joravsky, Ben (2007-05-21). "Democracy, 48th-Ward style". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2007/05/21/democracy-48th-ward-style. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
2. ^ Chicago Election Results
3. ^ Joravsky, Ben (2004-10-14). "School for Sale; When the navy came knocking with more than $2 million, the Board of Ed decided Senn High School would be a great place to install a military academy. But teachers, parents, and students there didn't see it that way". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/school-for-sale/Content?oid=916979. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
4. ^ Joravsky, Ben (2004-12-16). "Senn's Last Stand; Mayor Daley thinks a naval academy at the school would be just fine. Guess that's the end of that discussion". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/senns-last-stand/Content?oid=917561. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
5. ^ PETA's Elephant Protection Ordinance page
6. ^ Mihalopoulos, Dan (2008-11-12). "Anti-elephant vote means no more cookies for aldermen". Chicago Tribune. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/11/anti-elephant-v.html. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
7. ^ Spielman, Fran (2009-12-17). "Alderman re-introduces elephant cruelty ordinance". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/1945859,chicago-elephant-cruelty-ordianance-121709.article. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
8. ^ Joravsky, Ben (2007-01-11). "When in Doubt, Read the Manual; Screwups by two aldermanic challengers in the 48th Ward leave incumbent Mary Ann Smith in the catbird seat". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/when-in-doubt-read-the-manual/Content?oid=924072. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
9. ^ Joravsky, Ben (2007-02-05). "Making a federal case out of it". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2007/02/05/making-federal-case-out-it. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
10. ^ Dardick, Hal (2009-08-15). "What's in Chicago aldermanic expense accounts?". Chicago Tribune. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/08/whats-in-chicago-aldermanic-expense-accounts.html. Retrieved 2009-08-18. 
11. ^ Spielman, Fran (2010-01-21). "Aldermen lagging in spending $1.3M; 13 leave at least $500K unspent on street, sidewalk repair". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/2002985,CST-NWS-ald21web.article. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
12. ^ Pallasch, Abdon M. (2010-07-02). "Chicago approves new handgun restrictions". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/2458402,new-chicago-gun-law-passed-070210.article. 

External links

• Alderman Mary Ann Smith, 48th Ward Chicago, political action committee web site
• 48th Ward Web Page
• Save Senn, an organization opposing the establishment of Rickover Naval Academy

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Name	Smith, Mary Ann
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