Residents seek answers, accountability in aldermen’s first 100 days
by Sarah Ostman on June 22, 2011
Before Rahm Emanuel became mayor last month, his team rolled out a transition plan. The 71-page document outlines a to-do list for his first 100 days in office, his first year and beyond, and includes a number of promises, including: cut $75 million from the budget, post a searchable city budget online and convene a committee to talk about food deserts.
“Change starts as a vision,” the report begins, “but to become reality, it needs to be embedded within a plan.”
Some West Side residents are questioning why they have not seen similar plans from their local leaders – especially after a hard-fought election that echoed with aldermen’s promises to bring change to struggling West Side wards.
Serethea Reid, a businesswoman and co-founder of the Central Austin Neighborhood Association, said she’s troubled by what she sees as West Side leaders’ lack of accountability and “measurable objectives.”