Fifty-three candidates filed ballot petitions yesterday with the State Board of Elections to run for Democratic, Republican, and Green Party Ward Committeeman for the first day of filing. While nearly half of the candidates who filed yesterday are incumbents (like Cook County Democratic Party Chairman and 31st Ward Democratic Committeeman Joe Berrios and 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan), there were a few newcomers.

After a marathon day of hearing applications for special use permits, most of which were for home expansion plans, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved zoning changes to relocate a medical marijuana dispensary from Fulton Market to Garfield Park, a new tech-focused, private elementary school for Lincoln Park, and a new transitional home in the Little Village neighborhood.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved several large scale housing and commercial developments to be built along the Lakefront and Chicago River, including the “supertall” Wanda Vista Tower project.

As election season draws near, Chief Judge Timothy Evans has turned to Professor Fraud to fill one of two vacancies at the Chicago Board of Elections. Professor William Kresse, an attorney, certified fraud examiner and professor at Governors State University, will be sworn in this morning to replace the late Republican Commissioner Richard A. Cowen, who passed away in April. While Kresse says the new job falls at the nexus of his professional interests – fraud, elections, and law – he says the appointment is bittersweet.

The City Council approved new regulations for privatizing city assets and services, “no-fly” zones for recreational drones, $700,000 in police settlements, an amended e-cigarette tax, a new airport parking program and fees for parking operators around city airports.

Cook County’s $4.5 billion budget passed the Board of Commissioners by a 12-to-5 vote after hours of haggling over a series of technical amendments.

The Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development met briefly yesterday afternoon to approve a property tax exemption for EDE Corp., the only exhibition display company based in Chicago. The 35-year-old, family-run company sought a Class 6(b) property tax incentive to expand their operations to a neighboring, vacant 35,000-square-foot-industrial building at 3790 W. 74th St. in the 13th Ward. If approved by the full City Council tomorrow, the company would save approximately $254,000 in tax savings over the 12-year period, and could re-apply for the tax break when it expires.

With more than half of the items on the agenda awaiting approval from the Plan Commission, the City Council’s Zoning Committee spent a majority of the meeting approving aldermanic applications to downzone sections of their wards to prevent developers from building “whatever they want” without community input. Most of those zoning changes, pending City Council approval today, are in the 19th Ward on the far South Side of Chicago.

A joint Committee on Budget and Finance will reconvene this morning to vote on new regulations aimed at preventing the future sale of city assets and services without an extensive public review process and independent audit.

With the first ballot petition filing deadline less than a week away, longtime 10th Ward resident Fred Carrizales confirmed to Aldertrack he’s planning to run for Democratic Ward Committeeman, saying he seized an opportunity when former Ald. John Pope (10) decided not to, and is getting pointers from convicted former Hispanic Democratic Organization chief, Al Sanchez.

With only two aldermen raising questions, the appointment of former 31st Ward Ald. Ray Suarez to the nine-member Illinois International Port District (IIPD) Boardpassed the Committee on Transportation and Public Way Tuesday, and will be reported out to the full Council today. His appointment was first introduced in September, but Chairman Anthony Beale (9) held the appointment in committee at the mayor’s request. Beale was absent Tuesday, so Vice Chair Matt O’Shea (19) presided. The position includes a $20,000 annual salary.

An ordinance aimed at making city privatization deals more difficult is the subject of a joint meeting of the Council's Finance and Budget Committees this afternoon.

The City Council’s Finance Committee approved $700,000 in legal settlements involving Chicago police officers, even as some aldermen questioned whether it would have been better to fight the lawsuits in court. An amendment to the recently passed e-cigarette tax and all other routine items on the agenda passed in committee and will be reported out to the full City Council at Wednesday’s meeting.  

The Council Committee on Cultural Affairs and Special Events approved an ordinance yesterday giving the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) the authority to produce public events and festivals for next year, an action the committee must take every year.

The Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation meets at noon today to take up an ordinance that sets the stage for next year’s public festivals, art shows, parades, and other attractions put on by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).