Aggressive race for 3rd Ward Alderman

February 23, 2007 (WLS) -- Incumbent Dorothy Tillman is facing a tough battle for re-election in Chicago's Third Ward on the city's Near South Side. Tillman is one of the most recognizable members of the city council. Her opponents claim she has neglected the people in the ward.

Alderman Dorothy Tillman, famous for those flamboyant feathered hats and controversial civil rights crusades, has been in the city council for twenty three years. She's predicting another victory this year even though she's facing four aggressive opponents and a series of daunting issues.

"I would expect the residents of the third ward is going to re-elect me based off the record, based off what we've done to this ward, how we've developed this ward," said Ald. Dorothy Tillman, 3rd Ward.

Tillman's pet project, the Harold Washington Cultural Center, located at 47th and King Drive in the heart of Bronzeville, is financed in part by the city. It is one of the biggest issues in the race for challenger Mell Monroe, a businessman who says the center is underutilized, over budget and a patronage haven for Tillman's relatives.

"The Harold Washington Cultural Center is tied up in the Tillman family empire if you will because her daughter runs the center as executive director having no experience at all in fund raising," said Monroe.

"It's not underutilized we've had national, international shows there. They just attack me because they don't have a plan. It's easy to attack when you don't have a plan," said Tillman.

The challenger with the most endorsements and the support of organized labor is urban planner Pat Dowell. Dowell says that Tillman's vote against the big box ordinance that would've required Wal-Mart-type retailers to pay higher wages and benefits proves that she's out of touch with 3rd Ward residents.

"We have a rising crime rate. We have failing schools and we have stalled development and basically our community has seen an alderman who is just long on rhetoric and short on results," said Dowell.

"Crime is down so much that we had to fight very hard to keep them from taking some of the officers away. You can look at the Chicago Public Schools and see what's going on and how we're working hard. We've given most of our schools computers," Tillman said.

Tillman worked for Martin Luther King in the south and she's fought for slave reparations and penalties for companies that profited from the slave trade here in Chicago. But her opponents say that she is still more vulnerable than ever.

"I think people are just ready for a change as you walk around people will tell you that," said Dowell.

"She doesn't do her job. She doesn't have a vision...... that's why I say 'vote for Monroe because the 'hat' absolutely must go,'" said Monroe.

"The hat will still be around on the 27th come, out and see us. He's just around the corner, I mean if we don't have a vision, the ward is nothing, why did you come here?" said Tillman.

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