Should the city ban energy drinks? Should it require food trucks to stay 200 feet away from restaurants? Should it raise the fines for parade-goers who drink in the street?
All are questions Chicago aldermen have tackled in the past year that affect young Chicagoans who like to pound energy drinks, buy lunch from food trucks downtown and flock to the rowdy St. Patrick's Day and Gay Pride parades.
Though the City Council passes ordinances that affect Millennials, only 10 percent of the 50-member political body are under 40. Mayor Emanuel's appointment of 37-year-old Natashia Holmes in February added to the minority. It was Emanuel's first appointment and filled the vacancy left by Sandi Jackson in the 7th Ward.
The last city election in 2011, in which Emanuel became mayor, ushered in three new aldermen under 40 years old. It's been almost a decade since there were more than five aldermen younger than 40 sitting together on the council. The young guns currently on the City Council represent North Center, Bronzeville, South Shore, West Lawn and Garfield Park.
Aldermen typically are the first point of contact when residents have complaints about their neighborhoods-from graffiti to parking to garbage collection. The politicians, who are charged with balancing the needs of the community and those of businesses, vote on citywide ordinances, have a say over local matters and prioritize ward projects. They make between $104,000 and $114,900, depending on whether they have accepted cost-of-living increases over the years.
The council's young politicos say they bring fresh ideas, better knowledge of social media and different perspectives to the council floor.
"It's more of a mindset," said Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno (1st), who turned 41 last month and had proposed the business live-work ordinance allowing limited use of storefronts as both retail and living space. "You're contemporarily thinking about issues."
Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th), at age 32, is the youngest alderman on the council. He was 30 when he was elected in 2010 and doesn't think age matters much when it comes to the job.
"We knocked on a ton of doors and did it for a long time," Pawar said of his campaign. "People, sure, were curious how old I was. I don't think it was ever held against me."
Ravenswood and North Center residents mainly wanted to know what his ideas and plans were for the ward, he said.
Dick Simpson, who was the same age as Pawar was when he was elected in 1971 to represent Lakeview for two terms, said politicians have to be of "sufficient age" to convince constituents they can do the job.
It's not surprising there have been few 20-somethings on the council over the years, Simpson said. Ideal candidates, he said, need to have a proven track record: an established career and a resume of community involvement. And that takes time.
Among the reasons aldermen tend to be older is because the job can be demanding. For example, conscientious aldermen work 60 to 80 hours a week, according to Simpson, now a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Those hours can be a problem if they still are trying to establish a career or raise young children, Simpson said.
He suggests aspiring aldermen learn the craft of politics by getting involved in a campaign or an organization before running. That way, they learn how to raise money, how precincts work, and how to present themselves in debates, to the public and to the media.
A resident with strong ideas should consider running, Pawar said. He didn't buy into the idea that he should wait his turn. "I never believed that. I ran for office because I loved the neighborhood," he said.
Just because aldermen are younger, it doesn't mean they are out of touch with their older residents as long as they develop an understanding of their problems and meet with them to hear their concerns, Simpson said.
"You have to be able to relate, and that's your job," Moreno said. Every month, he tries to visit a senior home to find out what their issues are.
Likewise, Pawar put together a senior council, meets with block clubs and talks to neighborhood groups. "I try to make sure I have a pulse on the community so whatever issue comes up I have an understanding of what's happening," he said.
Interested in running for alderman in Chicago?
The next city election isn't until 2015 but here's a list of the general requirements.
> Be a registered voter who has lived in the ward for at least one year before the election date
> Owe no taxes or money to the city
> Be convicted of no "infamous" crime, bribery, perjury or other felonies.
> Aldermanic candidates must file petitions with signatures that tally at least two percent of the number of voters who cast ballots in the last city election in that particular ward. That magic number varies in each ward.