RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud and honored to congratulate our dear friend and colleague, Alderman Carrie Austin on her twenty-nine years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people of the 34th Ward and the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Carrie Austin has been a long-time resident of Chicago. She was born in 1949 and graduated from Waller High School (now Lincoln Park High School) before graduating from Roosevelt University; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Carrie Austin has been a member of the 34th Ward Democratic Organization since 1972. She serves as City Vice Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. In addition, she served as an Illinois delegate for Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention in 2008 and 2012; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Austin is a member of the congregation of Logos Baptist Assembly. She is dedicated to her family and immensely enjoys spending time with them. She is the proud mother of seven wonderful children, grandmother to 29 lovely grandchildren and great- grandmother to 16 blessed great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Carrie Austin became the Alderman of the 34th Ward when Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed her to that position in 1994 following the death of her beloved husband, Lemuel Austin, Sr., who was the 34th Ward alderman at the time. She would be reelected 7 times; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Austin began working on improving public safety, education, housing and economic development. As a result, she stabilized middle-class neighborhoods, increased the number of affordable housing units, and attracted new retail and nonprofit entities; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Austin was appointed Chair of the Budget and Government Operations committee in 2007, a position she held for 12 years. Most recently she has served on the Committees on Aviation, Budget and Government Operations, Committees and Rules, Contracting Oversight and Equity, Finance, Housing and Real Estate, Transportation and Public Way, and Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Austin's accomplishments include working to build a state-of-the- art public library, which replaced an infamous 24-hour liquor store, advocating for a new Mercy Hospital Emergency Room and clinic facilities, opening a concept school, which merges a disabled and typic student population, and spearheading a 10-year advocacy that actualized a major shopping mail with major anchor stores; and
WHEREAS, Carrie Austin has been a dedicated public servant for most of her adult life and has strived to make the lives of her constituents better. The residents of the 34th Ward appreciate the dedication she has shown as one of the longest serving Alderman in Chicago history; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this nineteenth day of April 2023, do hereby extend to Alderman Carrie Austin, our deepest gratitude and thanks for her many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago, and our best wishes for continued success in all of her future endeavors; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Alderman Carrie Austin, as a token of our appreciation and esteem.