Chicago City Council

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox legislature 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.[1] 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 is elected to the position of President Pro Tempore serves as the presiding officer.[2][3]

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

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.[4] Active caucuses include the Black Caucus, Democratic Socialist Caucus, Latino Caucus, LGBT Caucus, and Progressive Reform Caucus.[4][5]

Current composition of the Chicago City Council
Ward Name Took office PartyTemplate:Efn Main community areasTemplate:Efn
1 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] West Town, Logan Square
2 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[7] Near North Side, Lincoln Park
3 Template:Sortname 2007 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Grand Boulevard, Near South Side, Douglas
4 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[8] Douglas, Kenwood, Near South Side
5 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[9] Hyde Park, South Shore, Woodlawn
6 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[10] Greater Grand Crossing, Chatham
7 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] South Deering, South Chicago, South Shore
8 Template:Sortname 2006Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Avalon Park, Pullman
9 Template:Sortname 1999 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Roseland, West Pullman, Riverdale
10 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[11] South Deering, Hegewisch
11 Template:Sortname 2022Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[12] Bridgeport, New City, Armour Square
12 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[13] Brighton Park, McKinley Park, New City
13 Template:Sortname 2011 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[14] Clearing, Garfield Ridge
14 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | DemocraticScript error: No such module "Unsubst". Archer Heights, Gage Park
15 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] New City, Gage Park, West Englewood
16 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] West Englewood, Englewood, Chicago Lawn
17 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Auburn Gresham, West Englewood, Chicago Lawn
18 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Ashburn
19 Template:Sortname 2011 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Morgan Park
20 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[15] New City, Washington Park, Woodlawn
21 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[16] Washington Heights, West Pullman, Morgan Park
22 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] South Lawndale, Garfield Ridge
23 Template:Sortname 2018Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[17] Garfield Ridge, West Lawn, West Elsdon
24 Template:Sortname 2022Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[18] North Lawndale
25 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Lower West Side, South Lawndale
26 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[19] Humboldt Park, West Town, Logan Square
27 Template:Sortname 1995 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Near West Side, West Town, Humboldt Park, Near North Side
28 Template:Sortname 2011Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park
29 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Austin
30 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | DemocraticScript error: No such module "Unsubst". Portage Park, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park
31 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Belmont Cragin, Hermosa
32 Template:Sortname 2007 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Logan Square, Lincoln Park, North Center
33 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[11] Albany Park, Irving Park
34 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[20] Near West Side, Loop
35 Template:Sortname 2025Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Avondale, Logan Square
36 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[21] Belmont Cragin, West Town, Montclare
37 Template:Sortname 2000Template:Efn style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Austin, Humboldt Park
38 Template:Sortname 2011 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Independent[22] Dunning, O'Hare, Portage Park
39 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[23] North Park, Forest Glen
40 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[24] Lincoln Square, West Ridge
41 Template:Sortname 2015 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Independent[25] O'Hare, Norwood Park
42 Template:Sortname 2007 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Near North Side, Loop
43 Template:Sortname 2022 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[26] Lincoln Park
44 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[27] Lake View
45 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] Jefferson Park, Forest Glen, Portage Park
46 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[28] Uptown, Lake View
47 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[29] North Center, Lincoln Square, Lake View, Uptown
48 Template:Sortname 2023 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[30][31] Edgewater, Uptown
49 Template:Sortname 2019 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[32][33] Rogers Park
50 Template:Sortname 2011 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Democratic[6] West Ridge

Standing committees

File:Chicago City Hall postage stamped November 9, 1914 postcard (front).tiff
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.[34]

The committees are created, and their leaders and members are selected, through a resolution passed by the whole council.[2] Historically, mayors have played a central role in selecting committee chairs.[3][35]

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:[36][37]

Committee Chair Vice Chair
Aviation Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Budget and Government Operations Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Committees and Rules Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Contracting Oversight and Equity Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Economic, Capital and Technology Development Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Education and Child Development Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Environmental Protection and Energy Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Ethics and Government Oversight Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Finance Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Revenue (subcommittee) Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Health and Human Relations Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Housing and Real Estate Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Immigration and Refugee Rights Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
License and Consumer Protection Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Police and Fire Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Public Safety Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Special Events Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Transportation and Public Way Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Workforce Development Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Youth Employment (subcommittee) Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards Template:Sortname Template:Sortname

History

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File:Map of city of Chicago Ward System by population 1904.jpg
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.[38]

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.[39]

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.[40][41] However, some members of City Council continue to use the term alderman or instead use alderwoman or alder.[42]

Corruption

Chicago City Council Chambers has long been the center of public corruption in Chicago.[43][44] The first conviction of Chicago alderpersons and Cook County Commissioners for accepting bribes to rig a crooked contract occurred in 1869.[43] Between 1972 and 1999, 26 current or former Chicago alderpersons were convicted for official corruption.[45][46][47] 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.[43][48]

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.[49] 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.[50]

Over half of elected Chicago alderpersons took illegal campaign contributions totalling $282,000 in 2013.[51][52][53]

Election

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File:City of Chicago wards map (2023–).svg
Map of the 50 wards of the City of Chicago in use since 2023
(Template:Maplink)

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 Central Time on the third Monday in May following the election.[54]

Authority and roles

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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

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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.[55] The Municipal Code of Chicago is the codification of Chicago's local ordinances of a general and permanent nature.[55][56] 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.[57]

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.[58][59] 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.[60][61] Political scientists have suggested that this facilitates corruption.[60][61] The system has been described as "50 aldermen serving essentially as mayors of 50 wards."[62]

See also

Notes

Template:Notelist Template:Reflist

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Chicago City Council Template:Chicago municipal government officials Template:Authority control

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  56. ↑ Chicago City Council Journal of 27 June 1990 Template:Webarchive, p. 17764
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Aldermanic Privilege. Template:Webarchive Christopher Thale, Encyclopedia of Chicago.
  60. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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