CHICAGO — Anna Valencia is running unopposed for the city clerk’s office for the second consecutive election.
Valencia was appointed to the position in 2017 by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She replaced Susana Mendoza, who had won a special election for state comptroller.
Valencia was elected to her first full term in 2019.
City clerk is one of three citywide elected positions in Chicago, along with the mayor and city treasurer.
The city clerk’s office is a busy branch of city government, responsible for distributing city stickers, residential parking permits and even dog registration.
The city clerk is also central to government transparency, tasked with keeping city records, including legislation, and making those records publicly accessible. The city clerk’s website is where City Hall posts meeting notices, agendas and livestreams, as well as minutes and video archives of past City Council and committee hearings.
The clerk is also the official recordkeeper for the City Council’s journal of proceedings, city budgets and mayoral executive orders, and is the point of contact for Freedom of Information Act requests.
The position has a four-year term and a current salary of $133,545, although that salary is slated to rise in 2023 to $161,016 — a 20.5 percent increase.
Valencia held a variety of jobs in Illinois politics before taking over the clerk’s office.
She worked on the campaigns of Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Mike Quigley, according to her campaign website. In 2016, she took a job as director of legislative counsel and government affairs for the Emanuel administration.
Valencia unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state last year, losing to Alexi Giannoulias in the Democratic primary.
Valencia grew up in Granite City and attended the University of Illinois. She and her family live in Tri-Taylor.
As clerk, Valencia has spearheaded the creation of a Chicago city ID, known as CityKey, that was funded by a $1 million appropriation in the city budget in 2016. The government-issued ID was designed to make it easier for residents to obtain government documentation and is available to all Chicagoans.
Along with ID capabilities, the CityKey functions as a library card, Ventra card and a prescription drug discount card, according to the city clerk’s website.
Valencia’s campaign has raised $57,000.