‘More than a part-time position’: Alderman Quinton Crudup (3rd) announces plans to resign

The City Council will soon find itself one alderperson short — just as election season kicks off — after a freshman alderman announced they will resign citing an outside job and educational responsibilities.

Effective Friday, March 25, first-term Alderman Quinton Crudup (3rd) will resign from the City Council, he announced in a letter sent to his constituents this month.

“This is not a position I take lightly or take for granted. As a lifelong Third Ward resident, I believe this is more than a part-time position and should be treated as such,” the letter reads.

Since 2016, Crudup has worked for Harvey Schools District 152 as a special education worker and is currently employed as a payroll specialist. He recently completed a Masters of Education with a specialization in School Business Management at Northern Illinois University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In the letter, Ald. Crudup also outlined his hopes for the City Council in the months ahead. “One of my prayers and hopes for City Council is to be unified in tackling challenges including but not limited to crime, infrastructure, and economic development.”

It is unclear if the alderman alerted the mayor, now tasked with nominating a replacement, why Ald. Crudup did not want to finish the last year of his term, or what his future plans are.

Ald. Crudup declined requests for comment. He never held public office prior to his 2019 election win, and is the son of former third ward alderman Daryl Crudup.

During his three years, Ald. Crudup was a quiet voice known for avoiding shouting matches during public meetings but also faced criticism from some residents that he — and most alderpersons — were not active in their wards.

Although he regularly abstained from contentious votes on City Council, Ald. Crudup recently voted against Harvey Lofts, a $17 million affordable housing development slated to bring 51 new two- and three-bedroom apartments that was met with pushback from some residents.

The third ward boundary extends from 151st Street and 161st Street between Western Avenue and Ashland Avenue, and is the site of major institutions like the Harvey Police Department headquarters and UChicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital.

Mayor Christopher J. Clark now has 60 days to nominate someone, and the City Council has 30 days to make an approval. If the Council rejects that nomination, the mayor then has 30 days to make another nomination, according to the Illinois State Municipal Code.

In the event the Council rejects the second mayoral nominee, the mayor has 30 days to make a temporary appointment who must fill that seat until the next municipal election, according to the Code.

The seat must also be up for election in the next election, according to the Code, regardless of whether the seat was scheduled to be on the ballot. That’s because some municipalities stagger seats.

An appointment can’t serve more than 28 months, and municipal attorneys are tasked with overseeing the actual process, Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich said.

In Harvey’s case, the mayoral appointment would serve out Crudup’s final year, as City Council races are the spring of next year.

The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.