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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING COMMISSIONER JESÚS G. “CHUY” GARCÍA
WHEREAS, Commissioner Jesús G. "Chuy" García (7th District) will vacate his seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners on November 30, 2018 after five outstanding years of public service to the residents of Cook County; and
WHERAS, at the age of 10, Commissioner García’s family moved to Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood and subsequently Little Village; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner García attended St. Rita High School where he first developed interest in politics after being inspired by speeches from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and United Farm Workers Union leader Cesar Chavez; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner García got his first taste of political organizing when he and fellow students threw a picket line around the old, run downed Atlantic movie theater on 26th Street, which was closed and reopened with upstanding conditions; and
WHEREAS, in 1983, Chicago mayor Harold Washington selected Commissioner García to become the city’s deputy water commissioner, followed by a successful election as alderman of the 22nd Ward in 1986; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, Commissioner García ran for Illinois Senate and became the first Mexican-American elected to that post; and
WHEREAS, in 1998, after Commissioner García’s time as senator came to an end, he founded the Little Village Community Development Corporation, presently Enlace Chicago, a non-profit dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of Little Village residents by fostering a safe and healthy environment and championing educational and economic development opportunities; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, Commissioner García was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, followed by a re-election in 2014, of the 7th District, which encompasses many community on Chicago’s Southwest Side including Little Village, Pilsen, McKinley Park, Brighton Park, Gage Park, Back of the Yards, Vittum Park, Sleepy Hollow, West Lawn, as well as portions of Garfield Ridge and Archer Heights; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner García championed for significant advancements in the areas of immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and fair labor practices, from establishing landmark legislation that limits the County Jail’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to leading the passage of paid sick leave and starting conversations on bail reform and inequitable property tax assessments, even when it was unpopular to do so; and
WHEREAS, throughout his years of public service, Commissioner García has been dedicated to the needs and values of the residents of Cook County, always advocating for accessibility to resources and accountability from government actors; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby extend our sincere and grateful appreciation to Commissioner Jesús G. "Chuy" García for his service on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and our best wishes to him for continued success, happiness, and good health in the years to come.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body, and a suitable copy of same be tendered to Commissioner Jesús G. "Chuy" García.
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