CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Some Chicago City Council veterans have been building support for a plan to reorganize the council with a new mayor on the way. The alders said they want to assert more independence.
Technically, the City Council has the power to make its own rules, but mayors have been the ones to exercise ultimate power over committee chairs, rules and such.
With a new mayor on the way, though, Ald. Jason Ervin (29th) said the council will soon hold a special meeting to better chart its own path.
“This is a very important issue, not only for the City Council but also for the city of Chicago, as we speak on how to make council more independent [and] make it a more coequal branch of government in relation to the way that we do things here in Chicago,” Ervin said.
Among the changes that Finance Committee chair Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said alders would fight for: hiring a parliamentary legal adviser for the council.
“In brief, we’ll be looking at changes to make gender-neutral references in the new rulebook, an increased number of committees to create more parity throughout each of the caucuses, additional transparency on how direct introductions can be made in the council,” Waguespack said.
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