After April 4 Chicago will be in a muddled mess
The unprecedented loss of more than 200 years of institutional memory will be devastating
Regardless of who emerges as mayor this Spring, Chicago city government is headed for one of, if not the rockiest roads in decades. The key reason is the Chicago City Council will include a cohort of fresh-faced rookie legislators. The council seats in 12 wards will have new occupants. That is exactly the number of sitting aldermen who have opted to retire, resign or give up their respective seat and run for mayor. This is the largest council turnover in more than 25 years-at least.
Vying for committee appointments, leadership of the various caucuses, serving as the mayor’s floor leader will all have to be figured out by men and women who have never worked together, and don’t necessarily know one another.
Many of the aldermen who will retain their seats after the elections made it clear in June 2020, they will demand the mayor, whoever that may be must strictly adhere to the council’s “rules of order” - something they charged Mayor Lori Lightfoot with repeatedly violating.
Expect lobbyists, who will have a deeper knowledge of city operations than many of the newly elected aldermen, to play an outsized role in presenting and shepherding legislation and policy through. Yes, lobbyists will possess a deeper knowledge base of why many of the matters in council happened; as well an equal understanding of why some matters didn’t see the light of day.
Most of the city council staff members will be much better versed in the operations of city hall than the new aldermen. Normally, that probably isn’t a factor; however, with such a large number of first-time council members lobbyists and senior staffers will wield undue influence. An unprecedented juggernaut has entered the race- the endorsement of Gov. JB Ptitzker. The two-term governor is backing most incumbents in the predominantly Black wards, save the 18th; and took a pass on several North Side wards. The governor’s influence is likely to infusing cash into the campaigns he selected and that will be the determining factor in many of these races.