Mary Ann Smith

Mary Ann Smith was appointed 48th Ward Alderman in 1989 and served for five terms. Her early efforts included curbing nursing home voter abuse. Operation Lakewatch, a grass roots effort to make voters aware of water contamination in Lake Michigan, is an example of her concern for the environment.

During her tenure as Alderman, she was a staunch supporter of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) program and the Human Rights Ordinance, Transgender, and Domestic Partner Ordinances. Mary Ann Smith helped improve life in Edgewater’s schools through securing additions to Swift and Peirce Schools. She also sparked residential and economic development by securing more than $105 million in funding for community improvements. She spearheaded the designation of two National Register Historic Districts in Edgewater, improved public safety and traffic congestion, and headed other initiatives to secure Edgewater’s identity as a “place you want to be, not a place you want to flee.” Her twenty five years of public service have resulted in significant improvements in life for all Edgewater residents.

Mary Ann Smith:
“What a few citizens can accomplish can ignite the imagination of people.”

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