Former Ald. Walter Burnett (27) is pictured at a City Council meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

After three decades, the tenure of Ald. William Burnett Jr. (27) came to an end last week, but not before the city’s longest-serving council member reflected on his career — pointing to things he is proud of and things he still hopes are accomplished in his ward.

Burnett, who was first elected in 1995, may be retiring from City Council, but he has no intention of not working. In an interview with The Daily Line on his last day in office, Burnett said he’s spoken to Mayor Brandon Johnson about being appointed CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), a position that would take him full circle, as he grew up in the Cabrini Green public housing projects that have since been demolished.

“Me and the mayor did talk about it,” Burnett confirmed. “I think other folks have talked to him too, so hopefully he’ll recommend me, and hopefully the board will vote for me.” 

Burnett added that he also had been in communication with the CHA board members.

Last week, Johnson told reporters that he is deciding between three candidates, including Burnett, for the CHA post. He added that he expects that the CHA board will make its decision this month once he makes his recommendation. The CHA has been without a permanent leader for nine months.

Burnett also said that he’s considering running for U.S. Congressman Danny Davis’ 7th district seat, after Davis announced on Thursday that he will not seek a 16th term. However, Burnett said running in another election isn’t something he craves right now.

“Just the thought of not having to run for office is a vacation in itself,” he said. “So, I don’t know if I want to go from running every four years to running every two years. I don’t know how effective you can be in Washington, D.C. with the current administration. We’re looking at it but not too hard.”

As for the City Council slot he’s leaving, Burnett has been pushing for his son, Walter Redmond Burnett, to be appointed interim alderman. Now that Burnett has officially resigned from his aldermanic post, Johnson has 60 days to appoint a replacement to serve until the next election, which is set for February 2027. Burnett's push to have his son succeed him has been criticized in the media, most notably by the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board, which expressed reservations about nepotism and the lack of transparency in Chicago politics, while have chalked it up to “the Chicago way.”

Regardless, Burnett has made no apologies and said that he has talked to Johnson about appointing his son in the role.

“It’s my kid. I talk to the mayor about my son before I talk about myself, that’s what a parent does,” Burnett said. 

As for Johnson’s response, Burnett said he kept a poker face. “He tried to keep his cards close to his chest. He said he’ll consider it and go through the process and take it from there.”

As for his own legacy on City Council, Burnett listed a number of things he was proud of, including taking the West Loop from Skid Row to one of the hottest neighborhoods in the country; the development of East Garfield Park and West Humboldt Park; affordable housing legislation; and helping to bring two Democratic National Conventions to Chicago.

Burnett, who while in his late teens served two years in prison for bank robbery, for which he was pardoned in 1998 by then-Gov. Jim Edgar, also said he was proud of helping those who made similar mistakes get another chance at life.

“I’m grateful that with my life journey that I’ve been able to motivate folks who made mistakes like I did when I was a teenager to turn their lives around,” Burnett said. “We’ve helped so many returning residents get jobs and be looked at in a different way.”

Despite the successes, Burnett did concede that there were a number of things he wished were completed under his watch, most notably the casino in downtown Chicago that is currently being built and the 1901 Project, a long-term plan to redevelop the area near the United Center. While Burnett is now hoping for the CHA spot, he doesn’t anticipate that it will require him to work the long hours that he’s been used to for the last 30 years.

“I think it will be a little less demanding and that most of the things that will happen will happen during the day.” He added that his wife overcame a bout with cancer a few years ago and the experience made him focus on his priorities.

“After that bout with cancer, it made me want to be home more and cherish more of the moments that I have with her,” Burnett said. “For me to still work is not a problem but to work 14, 18 hours a day, I can’t keep doing that.”

Although last Thursday was his last day as alderman and those 18-hour days were now a thing of the past, he said he had mixed emotions. 

“I’m happy and I’m sad at the same time. I miss all the people already,” Burnett said, adding that he spent a good portion of his last day at a block party hosted by the CTU and that many people were asking to take selfies with him. “It seems like I’m more famous now that I’m retiring than when I took office. I guess I’m nostalgia now.”