Regner E. "Ray" Suárez (born October 26, 1946) is the former alderman of the 31st Ward of the City of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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; he was first elected in 1991. He was unsuccessful in the April 2015 election, and left office May 2015.
In November 2015, he was appointed to a position on the
Illinois International Port District Authority.
Personal life
Suárez was born in
Yauco, Puerto Rico
Yauco () is a Yauco barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the Yauco barrio-pueblo, downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco ...
, and later enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. He is a
Vietnam Veteran
A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.
The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and oth ...
. He and his wife, Marta, live in the
Cragin neighborhood.
Early career
Suárez held various city jobs before becoming alderman. He worked for Streets and Sanitation, in the mayor's office as an Administrative Assistant working with Development Action Grants, and Assistant Commissioner of Department of Street and Sanitation.
In 1989, he was appointed to the Illinois Job Training Coordinating Council, where he advised the governor how to spend the budget for job-training.
Aldermanic career
Suárez was elected alderman in 1991. He was subsequently reelected in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011. He lost reelection in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
to Milly Santiago.
He was the chairman of Housing and Real Estate, and sits on seven other committees: Aviation, Budget and Government Operations, Buildings, Finance, Transportation and the Public Way, and Zoning.
The alderman has proposed that private businesses such as bars be required to install police surveillance cameras on their premises. "If you're not doing anything wrong, what do you have to worry about?" he demanded, in response to privacy concerns.
[Keen, Judy]
“Daley wants security cameras at bars”
''USA Today'', 14 February 2006.
From May 2011 until May 2015, Suarez was also Chicago's
Vice Mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected dep ...
.
References
External links
Suarez's City of Chicago website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez, Ray
1946 births
American politicians of Puerto Rican descent
Hispanic and Latino American politicians
Living people
People from Yauco, Puerto Rico
Chicago City Council members
Puerto Rican United States Marines
United States Marines
Puerto Rican people in Illinois politics