Alderpersons during Wednesday’s City Council meeting continued rolling out proposed legislation they hope to pass this term. While some proposals that failed to pass last term are now back on the board, alderpersons also introduced new legislation that would add flexibility to aldermanic staffing and require a hearing on pedestrian and traffic safety during the upcoming NASCAR race.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas speaks to the Cook County Finance Committee about her office's studies on the property tax code on Oct. 25, 2022. [Cook County Board of Commissioners Livestream]

A new law would reform the Illinois tax code to close a loophole that the Cook County Treasurer’s Office has demonstrated to have sapped millions from taxing districts and mostly harmed communities of color. 

The overhaul to the tax code included in the legislation would also slash the interest rate for late property tax payments and reform the so-called Scavenger Sale system.

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20) speaks during the City Council meeting Wednesday. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

After lengthy and at times contentious discussion Wednesday, the City Council approved an ordinance allowing the city to use $51 million in surplus from 2021 to help fund services for migrants who are being sent to Chicago from other states like Texas. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle presides over a special meeting of the county board of commissioners in December 2022. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

New legislation passed by the General Assembly and awaiting the governor's signature would amend the Illinois Pension Code to make permanent the annual contributions Cook County has made toward its pension obligations and implement reforms to the pension system.

Members of the City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection met Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

After a small group of alderpersons last week scuttled a vote on an ordinance (SO2023-1605) that would allow the city to use $51 million in surplus from 2021 to support migrants through June, the City Council is scheduled on Wednesday to take another look at the proposal. 

Alderpersons are also scheduled to vote on the permanent expanded outdoor dining program and a proposal to boost funding for some council committees.

The flag of Cook County flies over the entrance to the county building in Chicago. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County’s minimum wage is set to rise in July, but at a rate below the annual rise in prices. 

The county issued a notice Tuesday that the minimum wage for non-tipped employees working in the county would rise from $13.35 to $13.70 an hour July 1. Tipped employees’ minimum wage will rise from $7.40 to $8 an hour. 

Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Comm. Ken Meyer speaks during a news conference last week. [City of Chicago livestream]

As Chicago’s weather appears to have unofficially hit summer mode, the City Council could approve a permanent expanded outdoor dining proposal introduced last week. 

The City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection is set to meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday to consider the ordinance (O2023-2093) introduced by Mayor Brandon Johnson and various alderpersons during last week’s first meeting with the new mayor presiding. If the measure is approved Tuesday, it is likely to go before the City Council on Wednesday for a final vote. 

Some Chicago alderpersons are hoping the city’s new agreement with JCDecaux for “street furniture,” including shelters at bus stops, will open the door to bring more public bathrooms to Chicago. 

Under the new agreement, which began Jan. 1, revenue the city would receive from JCDecaux, the company that installed bus shelters throughout the city and sells advertising on the shelters, could instead go toward the company building and maintaining public bathrooms in the city, according to Ald. Daniel La Spata (1).  

Comm. Bridget Degnen (D-12), left, is pictured during a December 2022 meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The county government could soon expand the paid parental leave it offers most of its non-union employees if a new proposal is approved by the board of commissioners next month. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Comm. Bridget Degnen (D-12) sponsored the proposal, which was introduced by resolution at Thursday’s board of commissioners meeting and referred to the Finance Committee.

The City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations will meet at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. And a report from the Officer of Inspector General found members of the Chicago Police Department remained on the job after making false reports.

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) holds a news conference in the Cook County building on his ordinance protecting people from discrimination for exercising bodily autonomy on May 24, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved two major pieces of legislation during its meeting Thursday — a ban on the retail sale, distribution and display of flavored liquid nicotine products and an ordinance extending discrimination protections related to reproductive health and gender-affirming care decisions.  

Both measures passed via unanimous voice votes with little discussion and no questions, though the flavored nicotine ban was the subject of much commissioner deliberation and some hesitancy before it was unanimously approved during a Wednesday Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting.

The new City Council met for the first time Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Wednesday marked the first City Council meeting of the new term and several alderpersons didn’t waste any time submitting new legislation they hope to pass in the next four years.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presided over his first City Council meeting Wednesday. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Despite an initial attempt by an alderperson to delay a vote on the City Council’s committee assignments and chairmanships for the next four years, alderpersons on Wednesday approved the measure for the new committee organization. 

The 41-9 vote setting the committee assignments and their leaders occurred during the council’s first full meeting of the new term with Mayor Brandon Johnson presiding over council chambers. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson during a news conference Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson while presiding over his first City Council meeting Wednesday introduced a proposal to increase the funding for three City Council committees and set funding for a new committee.  

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) speaks during a county board meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County committees moved a retail ban on flavored nicotine products closer to codification Wednesday and approved a measure to outlaw employment and housing discrimination related to people’s decisions about reproductive or gender-affirming care.