City Council Update
At the City Council meeting held on Wednesday, July 29th, two long-sought and significant governmental reform items moved forward.
First-ever Council Financial Analyst Approved
The full City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Ben Winick to lead the Council Office of Financial Analysis. This important appointment is the culmination of over
two years of work which I led with colleagues Amaya Pawar (47th) and Pat Dowell (3rd) to begin reforming our City budget process by giving City Council a completely independent analysis of city spending.
I look forward to working closely with Mr. Winick during upcoming budget discussions this fall.
Privatization Rules Introduced Mayor Emanuel and many aldermen, including me, introduced a revised ordinance on Wednesday to set rules for privatizing City assets and services, in part to ensure deals similar to the parking meter deal are avoided in the future. The proposed ordinance increases transparency and accountability, requiring public hearings be held, as well as the independent evaluation of significant privatization plans or asset leases. I co-sponsored the original version of this ordinance in 2012, and applaud the efforts of my colleague Rod Sawyer (6th) in taking the lead on moving this ordinance forward. Lincoln Centre Receives City Council Approval City Council approved the redevelopment proposal for 2518-2552 N. Lincoln, which had previously received unanimous approval by the Chicago Plan Commission and the City Council Committee on Zoning. We are very grateful to everyone who participated in the community process to review this proposal.
Of course, should you have questions or comments about any matter pertaining to the City Council, please feel free to send us an email. |