Debra Silverstein has been Alderman of the 50th Ward since 2011. Since being elected, she has worked tirelessly to make this neighborhood a better place to live for the many residents who call it home. Her focus has been on making the 50th Ward safer, more family-friendly, beautiful, and economically strong.

Debra has brought several groundbreaking projects to the 50th Ward that improve the quality of life of the neighborhood’s residents. These include a new, state-of-the-art library at Pratt and Western, a multi-million dollar Streetscape of Devon Avenue, a brand-new park at Devon and McCormick, and an interactive Nature Play Center at Indian Boundary Park.

She has acted to improve the quality of education available to our Ward’s children. Under her leadership, the local public schools received more than $68 million in much-needed enhancements, including gorgeous new annex additions at Rogers Elementary and Decatur Classical School. Each of our neighborhood parks have also received brand new playground equipment, giving local children healthy, outdoor recreational options after school hours.

She has also acted to update our neighborhood’s aging infrastructure. To date, she has worked with the City to completely resurface nearly 300 streets, add brighter and safer piggyback street lights to dozens of blocks, and replace many antiquated water and sewer mains across the neighborhood. Infrastructure work is always ongoing, so please reach out to the 50th Ward Office with any pothole locations or infrastructure needs.

Debra works closely with the local police to make sure the 50th Ward remains a safe place to live and raise a family. She has a direct line to all the local police commanders and is not afraid to use it. In return, the police know that she will always act to make sure they have the resources necessary to keep this community safe.

Debra has also dedicated herself to being an advocate for the neighborhood in the Chicago City Council. She is the Chairman of the Committee on License and Consumer Protection and has supported many important pieces of legislation that improve the life of our local residents. These include vital worker protections, such as an increased minimum wage and ordinances guaranteeing predictable work schedules and paid sick leave. Other legislative victories include her Traffic Crash Review Ordinance, which makes Chicago streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, CHI vs Hate—the first major revamp of the city’s hate crimes ordinance in more than three decades—and an ordinance aimed at combating the spread of bed bugs.

But Debra’s major passion is serving her constituents. She is always available to answer residents’ emails and phone calls or speak with them in person. She frequently holds large community events, including the extremely popular Movie in the Park at Chippewa, her annual Back to School Fair, and regular Job Fairs.

The 50th Ward is the most diverse and wonderful community in the City of Chicago. Drawing from a wide breadth of knowledge and commitment to the residents of this neighborhood, Debra works every day to make it a better place to live, work, and raise a family.