A push to sell Chicago city stickers year-round will scrap the recently controversial sticker design contest.
City Clerk Susana Mendoza has denied the proposal was created to end the contest, but it's hard to forget how last year's competition turned into a nightmare for Mendoza, who was forced to pull the winning entry amid allegations it contained gang symbolism.
More than 18,000 people voted in favor of the 2012-2013 design created by Chicago teen Herbie Pulgar featuring the skyline, city flag and outstretched hands. When the sticker was chosen Pulgar told NBC Chicago he created it to thank everyone who helped him during a tragic childhood incident.
Some said the meaning went deeper, though, and noted the design, particularly the outstretched hands, contained symbolism tied to the Maniac Latin Disciples.
A runner-up design was chosen but the new winner eventually pulled out of the contest and the city created a generic sticker on its own.
This week Mendoza announced a proposal to shift to an ongoing sales system that the clerk's office calls "the biggest change to City Sticker Sales in its more than 100 year history." Last year Mendoza started online sales three weeks early and mailed renewal forms earlier also.
As for the new sticker, it will be straight-forward and free of any design that might be open to interpretation.
