John Arena is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 45th ward in the Chicago City Council from 2011 to 2019.
John Arena | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 45th ward | |
| In office May 2011 – May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick Levar |
| Succeeded by | Jim Gardiner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1965-1966 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jill |
| Children | Two |
| Residence | Portage Park, Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois University (B.A.) |
| Profession | Politician |
Career
editAldermanic career
editIn 2011, Arena was elected as the alderman of the 45th ward. The 45th ward includes Portage Park, Gladstone Park, Mayfair, Edgebrook, Forest Glen and Jefferson Park.[1][2]
In 2015, Arena was reelected to another four year term in 2015. On February 26, 2019, Arena was defeated by challenger Jim Gardiner.[3]
As an alderman, Arena was a member of the Committee on Aviation, Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics, Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, Committee on Finance, Committee on License and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation.[4] He is also a founding member of the Chicago Progressive Reform Coalition and the Democratic Ward Committeeman for the 45th Ward.[5][6]
In May 2018, Arena was accused of entering a Chicago Police station and demanding to utilize free parking reserved for officers so he could attend a Chicago Cubs game.[7]
As an alderman, Arena was noted as an advocate for developing affordable housing, even in communities where local residents opposed it.[8] When public safety officials opposed his development plans on social media, Arena had the Anti Defamation League crosscheck their names with city employee databases. He then filed complaints with their respective departments accusing them of making "racially charged" comments.[9] In December of 2019, after two years of investigations, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability announced allegations made against 29 of the 31 officers accused were groundless. The investigation is still going on for the firefighters accused, with none of the accusations yet to be proven. As of Septemberof 2023 all of the allegations were still unproven.[10]
Arena was also noted as one of the council's most vocal opponents to mayor Rahm Emanuel.[11]
Post-aldermanic career
editOn September 30, 2019, Arena was hired by the administration of mayor Lori Lightfoot (whom he had endorsed in the runoff of the 2019 Chicago mayoral election)[12] to work as a special advisor in the city's planning department.[13][14] In December 2019, Arena's opponent James Gardiner claimed that Arena had engaged in political activity and had disrupted a community meeting. These claims may have led to Arena resigning from his job in the city's Planning Department the following month.[15][16]
References
edit- ^ "List of 45th Ward Neighborhoods". Alderman John Arena. 2012-09-21. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "Ward Maps" (PDF). City of Chicago. 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
- ^ Seidel, Jon (2019-02-26). "Aldermen Moreno, Arena lose their seats on Northwest Side". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
- ^ "Legistar Profile - John Arena". City Clerk of Chicago. 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ Cox, Ted (2013-03-12). "Progressive Aldermen Unite, Vow to End 'Business as Usual'". DNA Info Chicago. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "List of Ward Officials". Cook County. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ Spielman, Fran (2018-05-21). "Ald. John Arena under fire for demanding parking perk before Cubs-Sox game". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ Pratt, Gregory (3 January 2020). "Former Ald. John Arena resigns as senior adviser in Mayor Lori Lightfoot's planning department". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ "Complaint charges cops made racist remarks on housing plan". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. 2018-02-09. Archived from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
- ^ "John Arena, COPA, and the Defaming of Chicago Police Officers". Chicago Contrarian. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ^ Rogal, Brian (3 April 2019). "Lightfoot Scores Major Victory, And Will Preside Over A Changed City Council". Bisnow. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ Byrne, John (30 September 2019). "Former Chicago Ald. John Arena hired for a $123,996-a-year job in the city planning department". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Maybe Chicago still isn't ready for reform". Crain's Chicago Business. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ Byrne, John (30 September 2019). "Former Chicago Ald. John Arena hired for a $123,996-a-year job in the city planning department". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ "Former alderman resigning from city planning job". Chicago Sun-Times. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ Pratt, Gregory (January 3, 2020). "Former Ald. John Arena resigns as senior adviser in Mayor Lori Lightfoot's planning department". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 April 2023.