Alderman Laurino's Biography

A lifelong resident of the 39th Ward, Margaret Laurino has served as Alderman since 1994, and won re-election four times. In her role as Chairman of the City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, and as the former Chairman of the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, Alderman Laurino has earned a reputation as a thoughtful leader on city issues. Her key citywide initiatives include:

  • Legislation to video stream Chicago City Council meetings.
  • Wrote the TIF Sunshine Ordinance requiring the Department of Housing and Economic Development to post detailed information about each of the city's tax increment finance districts on the City of Chicago's website.
  • Pharmaceutical recycling.
  • Legislation that requires retail chains to have recycling bins for plastic bags and to sell reusable bags for a small fee.
  • Created the Aldermanic intern program to provide college students with professional work experience, and the opportunity to learn city government operations from a unique perspective.
  • Legislation which expanded annual mandatory ethics training to all City employees.
    Convened the Food Desert Task Force to provide recommendations that would alleviate the disparity of grocery store locations in the city.
  • Legislation that regulates restrictive covenants that are placed on property once occupied by grocery and drug stores. This new law is thought to be the first of its kind and will hasten the return of needed services to communities.
  • Legislation to ban texting while bicycling.
  • Chicago’s first ever Pedestrian Plan, to make the city safer and more accessible for pedestrians.

In addition to working on citywide issues, Alderman Laurino has been dedicated to neighborhood and community concerns. She has worked with Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel to bring capital improvements and efficient city services to the Ward. Her list of accomplishments includes increased education funding, reduced crime, and infrastructure improvements throughout the Ward.

She has brought millions of dollars in school improvements to her ward, opening annexes at Volta, Haugan, Sauganash and Palmer Schools; major additions to the Sauganash and Hibbard elementary schools; and opening two new middle schools in the 39th Ward, the Aspira-Haugan Middle School, and the Albany Park Multicultural Academy. Laurino partnered with the Heartland Alliance, Swedish Covenant Hospital and the Chicago Public Schools to open health centers at Albany Park Multicultural Academy and Roosevelt High School.

To improve public safety in the community, Alderman Laurino lobbied for a new police station for the 39th Ward. She opened a new, state-of-the-art 17th District Police station on Pulaski in 2005.

Infrastructure is a priority to Laurino, who has resurfaced over 300 blocks of residential streets, and 100 alleys throughout the 39th Ward. She resurfaced major arterial streets along Peterson, Pulaski, Kedzie, Kimball, Devon and Montrose, and Foster. She acquired $6 million for improvements in Albany Park, replacing curbs and sidewalks, planting trees and installing new street lights, and beautifying commercial façades. She invested over $4 million renovating single family homes and apartment buildings in Albany Park. She also brought construction of a new, sate-of-the-art, $15 million library to Albany Park. She used the Small Business Improvement Fund to provide assistance to neighborhood businesses throughout the Ward.

Alderman Laurino has improved the lives of senior citizens and youth throughout the ward. She worked with the City's Department of Housing to fund construction of a 97-unit senior building in the Mayfair neighborhood. Keeping seniors in the community is also important to Laurino who helped bring over $500,000 for senior citizen home improvements such as stair and bathroom railings and roof and siding repairs.

North Park Village, 5801 North Pulaski, has long been considered a jewel in the city. The city's former tuberculosis sanitarium is now home to over 500 senior citizens, with more housing to be opened soon. Alderman Laurino works closely with the City to provide building renovation and programming to North Park Village's seniors. Laurino was instrumental in the renovation of Village's historic Rock Garden. She secured millions of dollars to renovate an outdated building at North Park Village that will soon reopen as a senior wellness center.

Laurino attended St. Edward Elementary School and Alvernia High School in Chicago. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education and Master's Degree in History at Northeastern Illinois University. Laurino co-founded the Peterson-Pulaski Business and Industrial Council, the Sauganash Chamber of Commerce, and the Pulaski Elston Business Association to keep and attract jobs. She works closely with the Albany Park Community Center, which provides day care, youth counseling, adult literacy programs, and senior programs to over 5,000 people per year. Alderman Laurino helped found the Albany Park Food Pantry along with Monsignor Prist, a collaboration between Queen of All Saints Parish and the Albany Park Community Center.

In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, she is a member of the City Council Committees on Budget and Government Operations, Rules and Ethics, Education and Child Development, Finance, Workforce Development and Audit, and Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards.

Marge enjoys spending time with her husband Randy and their dog Dolly. Their son John lives in Los Angeles.