on the Bloomington City Council. (Photo courtesy of YWCA McLean County Facebook page)
By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – A progressive activist pushing for Bloomington to become a ‘welcoming city’ for undocumented immigrants is running for the city council seat held by the council’s senior member.
Jenn Carrillo, director of mission impact at YWCA McLean County, has launched a Twitter account in support of her candidacy in Ward 6 next year.
Karen Schmidt is currently the alderman in the ward, which includes parts of the west side and Downtown Bloomington.
Schmidt was one of five council members who sent an email in early February asking to remove the ‘welcoming city’ ordinance from the council’s agenda.
The council has taken no action since then, although Schmidt recently suggested the city’s Human Relations Commission and the newly-created Public Safety and Community Relations Board provide feedback.
Schmidt acknowledged she was demoralized by the criticism she received, including from Mayor Tari Renner. The five council members said the debate cast unfair criticism on local police, who would be prohibited from cooperating with Fed deportations.
Carrillo said on Twitter she’s a “strong, unapologetic, progressive woman of color.”
“Power to the People,” she wrote.
“If we want change, it’s up to us to usher in a new wave of leadership who can contribute
fresh ideas, diverse voices, and a passion to serve the people in their communities,” Carrillo said on her Twitter page.
Schmidt was not immediately available for comment about her political plans. She was first elected to the council in 1999.
Carrillo plans to formally announce her candidacy next week.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
