Chicago City Council

Chicago City Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
FoundedDecember 13, 1837; 186 years ago (1837-12-13)
Leadership
Brandon Johnson (D)
since May 15, 2023
Vice Mayor
Walter Burnett (D)
since May 15, 2023
President pro tempore
Sam Nugent (D)
since May 15, 2023
Floor Leader
Vacant
since November 6, 2023
Assistant President pro tempore
Stephanie Coleman (D)
since May 15, 2023
Anna Valencia (D)
since January 25, 2017
Structure
Seats50
Political groups
Majority

Minority

Length of term
4 years
Elections
Two-round system
Last election
2023
Next election
2027
Meeting place
Council Chambers in Chicago City Hall

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is called into session regularly, usually monthly, to consider ordinances, orders, and resolutions whose subject matter includes code changes, utilities, taxes, and many other issues. The Chicago City Council Chambers are located in Chicago City Hall, as are the downtown offices of the individual alderpersons and staff.

The presiding officer of the council is the Mayor of Chicago, who is usually non-voting, except in rare cases, such as to break a tie. The secretary is the City Clerk of Chicago. Both positions are city-wide elected offices. In the absence of the mayor, an alderperson elected to the position of President Pro Tempore serves as the presiding officer.

Originally established as the Common Council in 1837, it was renamed City Council in 1876. The Council assumed its modern form of 50 wards electing one alderperson each in 1923.

Composition

The most recent city council election was the 2023 Chicago aldermanic elections. The current term began on May 15, 2023.

Alderperson elections are officially nonpartisan; party affiliations below are informational only. Council members also self-organize into caucuses, or blocs that address particular issues. Active caucuses include the Black Caucus, Democratic Socialist Caucus, Latino Caucus, LGBT Caucus, and Progressive Reform Caucus.

Current composition of the Chicago City Council
Ward Name Took office Party Main community areas
1 Daniel La Spata 2019 Democratic West Town, Logan Square
2 Brian Hopkins 2015 Democratic Near North Side, Lincoln Park
3 Pat Dowell 2007 Democratic Grand Boulevard, Near South Side, Douglas
4 Lamont Robinson 2023 Democratic Douglas, Kenwood, Near South Side
5 Desmon Yancy 2023 Democratic Hyde Park, South Shore, Woodlawn
6 William Hall 2023 Democratic Greater Grand Crossing, Chatham
7 Greg Mitchell 2015 Democratic South Deering, South Chicago, South Shore
8 Michelle Harris 2006 Democratic Avalon Park, Pullman
9 Anthony Beale 1999 Democratic Roseland, West Pullman, Riverdale
10 Peter Chico 2023 Democratic[citation needed] South Deering, Hegewisch
11 Nicole Lee 2022 Democratic Bridgeport, New City, Armour Square
12 Julia Ramirez 2023 Democratic Brighton Park, McKinley Park, New City
13 Marty Quinn 2011 Democratic Clearing, Garfield Ridge
14 Jeylú Gutiérrez 2023 Democratic[citation needed] Archer Heights, Gage Park
15 Ray Lopez 2015 Democratic New City, Gage Park, West Englewood
16 Stephanie Coleman 2019 Democratic West Englewood, Englewood, Chicago Lawn
17 David Moore 2015 Democratic Auburn Gresham, West Englewood, Chicago Lawn
18 Derrick Curtis 2015 Democratic Ashburn
19 Matt O'Shea 2011 Democratic Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Morgan Park
20 Jeanette Taylor 2019 Democratic New City, Washington Park, Woodlawn
21 Ronnie Mosley 2023 Democratic Washington Heights, West Pullman, Morgan Park
22 Mike Rodriguez 2019 Democratic South Lawndale, Garfield Ridge
23 Silvana Tabares 2018 Democratic Garfield Ridge, West Lawn, West Elsdon
24 Monique Scott 2022 Democratic North Lawndale
25 Byron Sigcho-Lopez 2019 Democratic Lower West Side, South Lawndale
26 Jessie Fuentes 2023 Democratic Humboldt Park, West Town, Logan Square
27 Walter Burnett 1995 Democratic Near West Side, West Town, Humboldt Park, Near North Side
28 Jason Ervin 2011 Democratic Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park
29 Chris Taliaferro 2015 Democratic Austin
30 Ruth Cruz 2023 Democratic[citation needed] Portage Park, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park
31 Felix Cardona 2019 Democratic Belmont Cragin, Hermosa
32 Scott Waguespack 2007 Democratic Logan Square, Lincoln Park, North Center
33 Rossana Rodríguez 2019 Independent Albany Park, Irving Park
34 Bill Conway 2023 Democratic Near West Side, Loop
35 Carlos Ramirez-Rosa 2015 Democratic Avondale, Logan Square
36 Gil Villegas 2015 Democratic Belmont Cragin, West Town, Montclare
37 Emma Mitts 2000 Democratic Austin, Humboldt Park
38 Nick Sposato 2011 Independent Dunning, O'Hare, Portage Park
39 Sam Nugent 2019 Democratic North Park, Forest Glen
40 Andre Vasquez 2019 Democratic Lincoln Square, West Ridge
41 Anthony Napolitano 2015 Independent O'Hare, Norwood Park
42 Brendan Reilly 2007 Democratic Near North Side, Loop
43 Timmy Knudsen 2022 Democratic Lincoln Park
44 Bennett Lawson 2023 Democratic Lake View
45 Jim Gardiner 2019 Democratic Jefferson Park, Forest Glen, Portage Park
46 Angela Clay 2023 Democratic Uptown, Lake View
47 Matt Martin 2019 Democratic North Center, Lincoln Square, Lake View, Uptown
48 Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth 2023 Democratic Edgewater, Uptown
49 Maria Hadden 2019 Democratic Rogers Park
50 Debra Silverstein 2011 Democratic West Ridge

Standing committees

Chicago City Hall, 1914

The city council is internally organized into subject-specific standing committees. Once proposed legislation is drafted, it is assigned to a specific standing committee. After a hearing and deliberation process, the committee votes on whether to report the proposed legislation to the full council, along with recommendations.

The committees are created, and their leaders and members are selected, through a resolution passed by the whole council. Historically, mayors have played a central role in selecting committee chairs.

As of May 2023, a majority of incoming City Council members after the 2023 election had agreed to a plan for the following subcommittees and chair assignments:

Committee Chair Vice Chair
Aviation Matt O'Shea Derrick Curtis
Budget and Government Operations Jason Ervin Nicole Lee
Committees and Rules Michelle Harris William Hall
Contracting Oversight and Equity Emma Mitts Daniel La Spata
Economic, Capital and Technology Development Gil Villegas Ronnie Mosley
Education and Child Development Jeanette Taylor Angela Clay
Environmental Protection and Energy Maria Hadden Timmy Knudsen
Ethics and Government Oversight Matt Martin Maria Hadden
Finance Pat Dowell Bill Conway
Revenue (subcommittee) William Hall Pat Dowell
Health and Human Relations Rossana Rodríguez Julia Ramirez
Housing and Real Estate Byron Sigcho-Lopez Greg Mitchell
Immigration and Refugee Rights Andre Vasquez Jeanette Taylor
License and Consumer Protection Debra Silverstein Peter Chico
Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Daniel La Spata Ruth Cruz
Police and Fire Chris Taliaferro Lamont Robinson
Public Safety Brian Hopkins Desmon Yancy
Special Events Nick Sposato Monique Scott
Transportation and Public Way Greg Mitchell Andre Vasquez
Workforce Development Mike Rodriguez Jeylú Gutiérrez
Youth Employment (subcommittee) Jessie Fuentes Michael Rodriguez
Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards Vacant Bennett Lawson

History

Map of city of Chicago ward system in 1904. Wards with lower populations have larger boundaries. External link: current map of Chicago wards

Chicago has been divided into wards since 1837, beginning with 6 wards. Until 1923, each ward elected two members to the city council. In 1923, the system that exists today was adopted with 50 wards, each with one council member elected by the ward. In accordance with Illinois state law, ward borders must be shifted after every federal census. This law is intended to give the population of the ward equal representation based by the size of the population of Chicago.

Chicago is unusual among major United States cities in the number of wards and representative alderpersons that it maintains. It has been noted that the current ward system promotes diverse ethnic and cultural representation on the city council.

In June 2021, the State of Illinois adopted a statute that changed the title of City Council members to alderperson (plural: alderpersons), replacing the gendered term aldermen. However, some members of City Council continue to use the term alderman or instead use alderwoman or alder.

Corruption

Chicago City Council Chambers has long been the center of public corruption in Chicago. The first conviction of Chicago alderpersons and Cook County Commissioners for accepting bribes to rig a crooked contract occurred in 1869. Between 1972 and 1999, 26 current or former Chicago alderpersons were convicted for official corruption. Between 1973 and 2012, 31 alderpersons were convicted of corruption. Approximately 100 alderpersons served in that period, which is a conviction rate of about one-third.

Fourteen of the Chicago's City Council's nineteen committees routinely violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act during the last four months of 2007 by not keeping adequate written records of their meetings. Chicago City Council committees violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act and their own rules by meeting and taking actions without a quorum at least four times over the same four-month span.

Over half of elected Chicago alderpersons took illegal campaign contributions totalling $282,000 in 2013.

Election

Map of the 50 wards of the City of Chicago in use since 2023
(Interactive version)

Chicago alderpersons are elected by popular vote every four years, on the last Tuesday in February in the year following national mid-term elections. A run-off election, if no candidate garners more than fifty percent of the vote, is held on the first Tuesday in April. The election is held on a non-partisan basis. New terms begin at noon on the third Monday in May following the election.

Authority and roles

The council, in conjunction with the Mayor of Chicago, hears recommendations from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and then may grant individual properties Chicago Landmark status. The Council also has the power to redraw ward boundaries, resulting in the heavily gerrymandered map seen today.

Law

The Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago is the official publication of the acts of the City Council. The Municipal Code of Chicago is the codification of Chicago's local ordinances of a general and permanent nature. Between May 18, 2011, and August 2011, the first 100 days of the first term of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, 2,845 ordinances and orders were introduced to the Council.

Aldermanic privilege

Chicago's alderpersons are generally given exceptional deference, called "aldermanic privilege" or "aldermanic prerogative", to control city decisions and services within their ward. This is an unwritten and informal practice that emerged in the early 20th century and gives alderpersons control over "zoning, licenses, permits, property-tax reductions, city contracts and patronage jobs" in their wards. Political scientists have suggested that this facilitates corruption. The system has been described as "50 aldermen serving essentially as mayors of 50 wards."

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-25 20:29 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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