Emanuel: Replacing Jackson on council will be open process

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says a four-member commission will help him select Sandi Jackson’s replacement on the Chicago City Council.

Jackson is the wife of former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who resigned in November citing ongoing treatment for bipolar disorder.

Last week Sandi Jackson also stepped down from office, saying she couldn’t adequately represent her South Side ward while dealing with “very painful health matters.”

In a statement Friday, Emanuel says the process to replace Sandi Jackson will be open and transparent. Applications will be available online beginning Monday, and the deadline to apply is Jan. 25.

Emanuel says he’s looking for someone with a record of community engagement who will be ready to work “on day one.”

He says he wants to have someone in place by mid-February.