There’s that name again: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. You’ve probably heard about it, and seen it on your tax bill, but not many people can say what it actually does on a typical day.
The MWRD, as it’s known, does a lot on any given day to keep our water fresh, basements dry and waterways clear. It handles more than a billion gallons of wastewater at its seven reclamation plants across Cook County, works with local communities on anti-flooding projects, operates reservoirs and tunnels for additional flood protection and manages 76 miles of rivers, streams and wetlands.
It is a critical line of defense against the impacts of climate change, and its work can go badly wrong — as when (as the Tribune reported in 2022) the MWRD eagerly distributed sewage sludge to fertilize farms and home gardens that turned out to be contaminated with forever chemicals.
Taxpayers entrust this obscure unit of government with a budget of about $1.4 billion each year to cover these services. And, no surprise given their dominance in Cook County, Democrats have long controlled the MWRD board.
R. Cary Capparelli would like to change that on Nov. 5, when he faces off against Democratic incumbent Precious Brady-Davis, who Gov. JB Pritzker appointed in July 2023, to fill the seat vacated by Kimberly Du Buclet, who was tapped to serve in the Illinois General Assembly.
Capparelli, son of a longtime Democratic state representative, is trying for a fourth time since 2010 to win election to the board, having run twice as a Democrat and now twice as a Republican, his current party affiliation. He’s an engaging guy and, with a doctorate in geography and yearslong interest in the agency, he’s a serious candidate.
Capparelli asserts that the commissioners waste taxpayer money and mismanage public works projects within their purview, awarding contracts “to their friends and contributors.” He criticizes their community outreach, saying suburbanites who have contacted him feel their flooding issues fall on deaf ears. And he claims the MWRD has stonewalled his efforts to obtain public records through the Freedom of Information Act.
Yet Capparelli provides no evidence to back up those assertions. Instead, he presents himself as an alternative to the monolithic rule of Cook County Democrats and promises that, if elected, he will catch up on the missing details.
The problem for him, his fellow Republicans and the sole Green Party candidate on the ballot (Claire Connelly, Richard F. Dale, Brendan Ehlers and Toneal Jackson) is that their Democratic opponents are more than up to speed. The MWRD may not be a beacon of efficiency, but it stays under the radar in part because it carries out a critical job with few public controversies.
Tribune Editorial Board endorsements for the 2024 general election
Credit goes to incumbent Democrat Kari K. Steele, president of the district, who previously worked for the MWRD as a water chemist and joined the board in 2012. She impressed us then with her expertise and willingness to get into details about issues like the hazard posed when people flush leftover pharmaceuticals down toilets. Cook County voters can feel good about casting their ballots for a proven leader: Kari Steele is endorsed for a six-year term.
Incumbent Commissioner Marcelino Garcia has an impressive background as a lawyer and executive for Cook County Health and has emphasized outreach and community building at MWRD. His fellow commissioners elected him to chair their finance arm, and Garcia says that he has pushed for revised land-use criteria to improve leasing practices, as well as passage of the MWRD’s first-ever Climate Action Plan. He pledges to expand the MWRD’s work on flood-relief projects. Amen to that. Marcelino Garcia is endorsed.
Sharon Waller, whom we endorsed in the primary, is seeking her first six-year term after defeating incumbent Daniel “Pogo” Pogorzelski in the Primary election earlier this year. She is a licensed environmental engineer and consultant to water utilities with decades of experience in the water biz. If elected, she promises to work with the independent inspector general and minimize sole-source contracts. Sharon Waller is endorsed again.
Brady-Davis worked at the Sierra Club for seven years and has had more than a year of MWRD service since Pritzker appointed her. She has hit the ground running, bringing energy to the role and, according to her, a passion for fiscal responsibility that is shared by her fellow board members.
She dismisses Capparelli’s complaints about the district as “bluster” with no factual basis. She ticks off a list of initiatives she has focused on since joining the board, from intergovernmental cooperation to corporate lease reviews, displaying a greater command of the district’s work than her opponent.
She also expresses pride in being part of a board she describes as the most diverse in the state. As the first Black, openly transsexual woman to hold office in Cook County government, Brady-Davis is a trailblazer.
With more time on the job, she will have an opportunity to build her expertise and deliver results for taxpayers who need the district to continue stepping up to defend Chicagoland against the challenges posed by climate change. Precious Brady-Davis is endorsed.
Voters, we know you might be tempted, but don’t skip casting your ballots for the MWRD races. This board may be obscure, but it’s becoming increasingly important, and it deserves your attention on Nov. 5 and beyond.
