Following a leaked executive summary of the the Police Accountability Task Force’s report in the Chicago Tribune yesterday, Task Force Chair Lori Lightfoot released statements late last night announcing a press conference at 2:00 p.m. today at Harold Washington Library to address the task force’s “recommendations for reform of the Chicago Police Department.” She said the summary reported by the Tribune was “incomplete.”

From Lightfoot’s statement: “The Police Accountability Task Force has not yet presented its report to Mayor Emanuel or the Chicago City Council, or officially released it to anyone and we are disappointed that incomplete accounts of a draft summary of the report are now online and in social media.”

Parents, teachers and neighbors of CPS elementary schools may vote for elementary school LSC representatives today. High schools hold elections tomorrow. Today is also elementary school report card pick up day, so parents can vote when they find out how Jack and Jane are doing in class.

LSCs set school discretionary budgets, determine some curriculum aspects and have the ability to hire and fire school principals.

Elementary school LSCs consist of 6 parent representatives, two community members, two teachers, one non-teacher staff member and the principal. High school LSCs also have an elected student representative. CPS reports 5,857 candidates and 774 seats that have no candidates across the city.

Aldermen heaped praise on Eli’s Cheesecake Company at a swift Economic, Capital, and Technology Development Committee meeting Monday afternoon, awarding the company with a Class 6(b) tax break for a roughly 38,000 sq ft addition to an existing 62,000 sq ft manufacturing and distribution facility in Ald. Nick Sposato’s 38th ward in the Read/Dunning TIF.

Attendance: Chairman Howard Brookins (21), Leslie Hairston (5), Gregory Mitchell (7), Patrick Daley Thompson (11), George Cardenas (12), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Willie Cochran (20), Michael Scott Jr. (24), Walter Burnett Jr. (27), Jason Ervin (28), Milly Santiago (31), Gilbert Villegas (36), Emma Mitts (37), Nicholas Sposato (38), Michele Smith (43), Tom Tunney (44)

The 6(b) break offers a 12-year reduction in real estate assessments from 25 percent to 10 percent for the first 10 years, 15 percent for the 11th year and 20 percent for the 12th year. Eli’s received $1.3M in TIF dollars for acquisition costs in 1996, and currently provides 249 jobs. 75% of Eli's employees are city residents. The addition will create an extra 75 new jobs over the lifetime of the break. The expansion will add $37,000 to Eli’s current property tax contribution of $149,000, according to Denise Roman with the Department of Planning and Development.

The $11 million proposed expansion will double the company’s baking and production capacity, and Eli’s will save about $600,000 over the break's lifetime.

Marc Schulman, Eli’s CEO, said the expansion is “part of a long-term planning process to keep our production in Chicago, to create more jobs for our people. We love the Northwest side,” he told aldermen, detailing charitable work the company does. “We believe Chicago is a great place to do business.”

“This is the model for economic development. The amount of financing that’s involved with this pales to the fact of keeping 300 jobs in the city. We’ve looked at a number of different incentives per employee. Not only is he a good corporate citizen, but your work hiring from the neighborhood and hiring people with disabilities, challenges, is remarkable,” Ald. Tom Tunney (44) said.  

The committee also approved several new appointments and reappointments to the to the the Community Development Commission, an 11-member, mayor-appointed board that meets once a month in the City Council Chambers to recommend the creation of TIF districts or use of TIF funds for development plans:

• Nicholas J. Delgado to replace Omar Duque. Duque resigned from the board before his term expired. Delgado is founder of Digitas, an investment bank and family office for “founder and family run enterprises,” according to its website. According to the Chicago Reader, Delgado was instrumental in getting a reluctant City Council to approve Wal-Mart’s move to Chicago.

• Dwight Curtis to replace Board Chair Marina Carrot, who is leaving her post this summer. Curtis, the Vice Chairman of label-making company Labelmaster, will finish out Carrot’s term.

• Mae C. Whiteside to succeed Lynda A. Olander, an executive with Precision Plating Company.

• Jorge Perez, the Executive Director of the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association and the board’s current Vice Chair, will be re-appointed alongside Roxanne Ward, Chief of Staff for the Women's Business Development Center. Perez will take over Carrot’s position as Chair.

A two hour hearing Tuesday by the Council’s License and Public Safety Committees on alleged widespread illegal car seizures by Lincoln Towing was short on substance. There were no official plans introduced to address towing issues, but the meeting was long on grievances as residents testified about their own personal horror stories of dealing with the operator.

At one point, Ald. Ameya Pawar (47), who had called for the hearing following numerous complaints about alleged towing by the company, got into a heated exchange with Lincoln Towing’s attorney, Allen Perl, who accused the aldermen of citing unsubstantiated statistics and dodging his phone calls ahead of yesterday’s meeting.

Present: Chair Ariel Reboyras (30), Gregory Mitchell (7), Ed Burke (14), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Willie Cochran (20), Chris Taliaferro (29), Scott Waguespack (32), Deb Mell (33), Anthony Napolitano (41), Michele Smith (43), Tom Tunney (44), John Arena (45), Ameya Pawar (47), Harry Osterman (48).

The company’s infamy in Chicago is so ingrained in popular culture and the city’s history, that Ald. Ed Burke (14), the longest serving alderman on the Council, noted that yesterday’s meeting “seem[ed] like deja vu.”

“You are too young to remember when these were issues here in this building in 1987 and 1988,” Ald. Burke told Ald. Pawar, recalling Mike Royko columns about Lincoln Towing when the company was owned by Ross Cascio. Burke then proceeded to recite the chorus of Steve Goodman’s song, “The Lincoln Park Pirates.”

Perl refused to name the company’s new owner in testimony, but said that he has represented the towing company for the past 20 years. He then claimed that during his tenure as attorney he has never received a phone call complaining about illegal tows. He also took issue with the recitation of Goodman’s song. “When the song was written in the 70’s, [the company’s current owner] was about ten years old. I know that we consistently hear that song about Lincoln Towing, I don’t know what relevance it has today unless you want to indict someone from the 1970s.”

Perl was the last person to testify and spent a significant portion of his time arguing that none of the testimony preceding him was factual. “Everyone in this room so far–and it’s really the vocal minority that’s indicting Lincoln Towing–no one really has the numbers,” Perl argued. He said that there are only about 90 complaints against his client currently pending with the Illinois State Commerce Commission, not the 3,891 cited in previous testimony. Given that Lincoln Towing tows an average of 20,000 cars a year, Perl said, that number works out to be four-tenths of one-percent. “And most complaints have nothing to do with the tow,” he added.

Perl went on to say that he made numerous attempts to speak to Ald. Pawar ahead of yesterday’s hearing, but never got a call back. Lincoln Towing is based in Pawar’s ward. Perl said he later learned from a reporter that Pawar had no plans to call him back.

“Meeting with you prior to this hearing didn’t make sense to me,” Pawar responded, saying that he had no interest in making any “back room deals” because he wanted Perl to show up at the hearing. Pawar said he would only meet with Perl and his client if they agreed to sit down and and provide data and documentation of past tows. “Until that happens, I’m not going to sit in some back room with you prior to a hearing over 40 years of issues.”

The City Council’s Licence and Public Safety Committees scheduled the joint meeting at the request of Public Safety Chairman Ariel Reboyras (30) and Ald. Pawar (47), both of whom filed a resolution calling for a hearing on how the city could enforce or draft new regulations to rein in what they described as “a pattern of illegal towing and abuse of customers by Lincoln Towing.”

“It’s about not just the people who are towed, it’s about the amount of man hours the police department spends on complaints related to towing companies,” said Ald. Pawar, who noted that his local police district spent nearly 600 hours addressing phone calls about people’s cars allegedly getting towed.

There was some talk about potentially drafting up a “bill of rights” to protect vehicle owners, determining ways the city could enforce laws already on the books, and the possibility of improving regulations regarding another headache for car owners: booting. At multiple times during the hearing, Ald. Pawar called on representatives of the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) to audit Lincoln Towing and release their findings to aldermen. Due to an ongoing investigation into the company, the Illinois Commerce Commission declined an invitation from Chair Reboyras to testify.  

Ald. Willie Cochran (20) reminded fellow aldermen that last year he moved through Council an ordinance requiring private tow companies to document every car towed by taking pictures of their warning signs posted in parking lots, the car towed, and the address where the car was parked. “I am being told that that isn’t being followed, it is not being conformed to. So every tow that has been towed by these companies are in violation of the law, and so they should be fined for that,” Cochran argued.

Most of yesterday’s meeting was more of an opportunity for residents to air their grievances, and for other tow operators to distance themselves from Lincoln Towing.

William Rankin, a building owner from the city’s North Side who told a story about his neighbors’ cars getting towed in his lot without his consent, turned around to Ald. Burke to say, “And we can pass all the damn ordinances we want, and Lincoln Towing is going to ignore them because that has been their record for how many years Ald. Burke? How many years have they ignored anything that you passed? They don’t give a damn about anything that you passed.”

Ed Forsythe, President of the Professional Towing and Recovering Operators of Illinois, an association that represents the business and legislative interests of several towing operators across the state, agreed. “You can pass any law you want and a bad guy is not going to pay attention. He may get locked up in the end, but he’s not going to pay attention.”

Forsythe said the Illinois Commerce Commission is the only regulatory body with teeth to enforce punishment for allegations of widespread towing. When he was asked by Chairman Reboyras if he thought that Lincoln Towing made the rest of the association look bad, Forsythe said yes.

“Absolutely, but there is nothing we can do until a ruling is given,” Forsythe said, adding that the association is in a “pickle” because they can’t remove Lincoln Towing from their organization without just cause.

The Chicago Board of Elections released final unofficial results, yesterday, the last step before certification on April 5. The final unofficial results are declared after all counts are completed.

PDF of Results Summary – PDF of Summary by Congressional District

As expected, 33rd Ward incumbent Democratic Committeeman Dick Mell has lost to challenger Aaron Goldstein by a narrow 50 votes, 5,457 to 5,407. In the 1st Ward, incumbent Democratic Committeeman Proco "Joe" Moreno defeated challenger Maria Theresa Gonzalez 6,604 to 6,405.

According to the Board, "At 53.52% turnout, Chicago will likely finish at or near first [in turnout] in the state, in a year when many suburban and downstate counties reported that they had set records.

However, Chicago itself previously has had higher Presidential Primary turnouts:
(1) 1984 - 58.54%
(2) 1980 - 56.74%
(3) 1988 - 56.03%
(4) 1976 - 54.59%

Saturday afternoon Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced his intention to install Chicago Police Chief of Patrol Eddie Johnson as Police Superintendent. While most of Chicago’s media and politicians were busy with family Easter celebrations, Sun Times’ Fran Speilman and Frank Main got the Mayor’s office leak while NBC5’s Mary Ann Ahern broke the most inflammatory news, that Police Board nominee Cedric Alexander was offered the job first after a stumbling interview with Emanuel.

A tick tock built from those must-read stories, plus a Chicago Tribune team reportreleased this morning follows:

Saturday, March 19 – Mayor Emanuel interviews Police Board nominees, including Cedric Alexander.

Sunday, March 20 – Emanuel meets with Alexander a second time, but Alexander claims Emanuel was “disrespectful” and subsequently asked Police Board to withdraw nomination.

Thursday, March 24 – Black Caucus holds press conference calling for local African-American choice, but is unspecific whom they prefer.

Emanuel asks for “reboot”,  meets with Cedric Alexander for third time in D.C., offers him superintendent job.

Friday, March 25 – Latino Caucus issues release calling for hearings.

Emanuel calls Alexander, tells him to wait before telling anyone.

Saturday, March 26 – Emanuel announces Eddie Johnson as pick.

Police Board announces “has not received formal communication” from Mayor.

Latino & Black Caucus issue joint release, welcoming Eddie Johnson as interim choice.

33rd Ward Democratic Committeeman Dick Mell still had not conceded to challenger Aaron Goldstein yesterday, according to his daughter Ald. Deb Mell (33), despite being down 42 votes following Friday’s vote-by-mail count by the Chicago Board of Elections. In the 1st Ward, Democratic Committeeman challenger Maria Teresa Gonzalez was down 191 votes to incumbent Proco “Joe” Moreno following Friday’s ballot count.

On Thursday morning, before the count, Gonzalez released a statement saying, “At this point, the election is too close to call.”

There will be another count of newly arrived vote-by-mail ballots tomorrow, and then periodically for the next week, according to the Board of Elections. Final, official results will be announced on Tuesday, April 5.

Last night’s 33rd Ward contest for Democratic Committeeman ended up with two precincts still uncounted and an undetermined number of vote-by-mail ballots uncounted. According to his daughter, 33rd Ward Ald. Deb Mell, Committeeman Mell has not conceded to challenger Aaron Goldstein and is awaiting final results. Unofficial results this morning showed a Goldstein with a 143 vote lead.

11 No Votes on Mayor’s Tobacco Plan, First Vote of the Day 

Ald. Ed Burke (14) made an unusual move by suspending the rules early in the meeting, introducing a substitute ordinance, holding no debate, and calling for a vote on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s tobacco reforms. The substitute ordinance is the third iteration of the Mayor’s tobacco package. It still increases the city’s smoking age to 21, sets new tax rates on tobacco products, eliminates the use of coupons for those products, and strengthens enforcements on the illegal sale of tobacco. But the tax rates for some products were brought down slightly from the original introduction. The threat of jail time for people caught selling loose cigarettes is gone, and retailers with existing stock won’t have to charge higher rates yet.

When Burke asked the Council to consider the amendment, he said changes had been made to the tax rates on other tobacco products (OTP), existing inventories will be exempt from the new tax rates, and employees over the age of 18 can sell tobacco (even if they can’t buy it). Price floors will be slightly lower on some products. There were also various changes to provisions on factory packaging.

Burke called for a roll call vote, after a brief consultation at the podium, the Mayor skipped debate, going straight to the vote. The measure passed 35-11.

The ordinance slightly amends the set minimum price floors for various tobacco products:

• $11.50 for a pack of cigarettes, or a pack of little cigars

• $1.36 per large cigar (down from $1.70)

• $4.56 per ounce of pipe tobacco

• $11.29 per ounce for a pouch of roll-your-own tobacco (down from $11.50)

• $4.94 per ounce of smokeless (chewing) tobacco (up from $4).

The ordinance sets fixed tax rates for these products: 20 cents per cigar, $1.80 per ounce of chewing and loose tobacco, and 60 cents per ounce for pipe tobacco. “To accommodate small businesses that do not cater to youth, the revised ordinance will exempt new taxation on existing inventory, applying the floor only to new inventory,” the Mayor’s Office noted in this press release.

Enforcement penalties remain mostly unchanged. Those caught selling individual cigarettes, colloquially known as “loosies,” will get slapped with a $1,000-to- $5,000 fine for the first offense, and upwards of a $10,000 fine for each subsequent offense. An earlier substitute draft included penalties of up to six months in jail for being caught selling loose cigarettes.

Retailers will also be added to the list of those who could be punished if one of their employees or “other agent of the retail tobacco licensee” is found selling loosies or violates the new regulations, noting, “such licensee shall be punishable in the same manner as if said act had been performed by the licensee personally.”

Licensees who violate the new price floors, coupon prohibition, or package size violations could face fines up to $2,000 for the first offense, up to $3,500 for a second offense within a five year period, and up to $7,500 for the third offense occurred within the same time frame. If a retailer commits two or more violations within a 48-month period, the city can revoke its license.

Under the new tobacco regulations passed, the Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection will also be required to provide annual reports detailing enforcement of the new rules to the Council’s License and Consumer Protection Committee on June 1st.

Most of the revenue generated from the tax will still support a universal, one-week orientation program for incoming high school freshman at Chicago Public Schools. The program will, “help them form good study habits, learn the ropes at their new school and get to know their teachers and peers,” the press release from the Mayor’s Office notes. Revenue from the new taxes will also help fund a “more intensive, mandatory two-week summer program” that will provide “remedial academic support and social emotional learning” for 8th graders at risk of dropping out of school.

No votes: Leslie Hairston (5), Sue Sadlowski-Garza (10), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Howard Brookins, Jr. (21), Mike Zalewski (23), Jason Ervin (28), Chris Taliaferro (29), Nick Sposato (38), Anthony Napolitano (41), and Tom Tunney (44).

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42), a vocal opponent of the ordinance, was absent. He was one of five aldermen to use parliamentary procedure to block a vote on it at the last City Council meeting.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), which led the charge against passage of the ordinance alongside Ald. Ervin and other border ward aldermen, maintained it had a compelling case to sue the city for overreaching its taxing authority. “I think that we will look into all of our options at this point,” Tanya Triche, general counsel for IRMA, told reporters after the vote. “The city has always taken the position that the state law didn’t grant the authority to have [an OTP tax]. They have recently taken a different read, but that law hasn’t actually changed.”  

$200M in Water Revenue Bonds Passes with Little Fanfare

After chipping away parts of Mayor Emanuel’s multi-billion dollar borrowing plan earlier this year, aldermen approved the last in a series of bond offerings the administration has said it needs to convert its remaining variable rate debt into a fixed rate.

Without any debate or discussion, or even much notice, Ald. Burke, Chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, asked aldermen to approve an ordinance that would authorize the city to issue $200 million in water revenue-backed bonds.

The bond offering, originally introduced in December as part of a roughly $3.7 billion dollar borrowing plan for this year, was tabled at the January City Council meeting, following vocal objections from aldermen who said the city shouldn’t borrow money to pay banks hundreds of millions of dollars in termination fees.

The revenue from the bond proceeds would pay the cost of restructuring outstanding debt from water bonds issued in 2000 and 2004 by converting those bonds to a fixed rate. The borrowed money will also pay for the cost of terminating the swaps, and the cost of borrowing the money. According to comments Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown made to aldermen in committee, the water bonds are the last remaining variable rate debt the city needs to convert to a fixed rate in order to complete a financial plan Mayor Emanuel announced in May at the Civic Federation. That announcement came shortly after the city’s credit rating was downgraded to junk status. So far, the city has paid out more than $250 million in termination fees to realize that plan, Brown said.

Authorization for the other bond offerings were passed by Council at that January meeting, but none received unanimous support, even after the administration agreed to halve its planned offering of $1.25 billion in general obligation bonds, and added a provision requiring regular briefings from Brown and City Comptroller Dan Widawsky on how the money is spent. The administration has yet to come to the council to get the remainder of the bond offering deal through.

But since that agreement to hold off on the borrowing plan, the water bonds were never brought up again in the Finance Committee, which is likely the reason it went through without a hiccup. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson and Burke abstained from voting on the deal under provisions of Rule 14.

Meanwhile, at yesterday’s City Council meeting,  Council’s Progressive Caucus introduced a resolution calling for more oversight and transparency in how the city makes “untested financial arrangements” like this bond offering. The resolution calls on the City Council to draft a “Financial Transparency and Accountability Ordinance” that would impose “rigorous review standards for extraordinary financial transactions.”

Other Highlights from Yesterday’s Council Meeting

• Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) and John Arena (45) voted against a massive redevelopment plan to transform the city’s Lathrop Homes, one of the oldest public housing communities, into a mixed-use residential community with more than 1,200 units, which will be a mix of public housing, market rate, and affordable.

• Another D&P: Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) and Ald. Michele Smith (43) used parliamentary procedure to block a vote on an ordinance that would authorize the demolition of a historic landmark building at 1938 W. Augusta Blvd., located in the city’s East Village District. In a 6-2 vote at their meeting in November, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks gave preliminary approval of the demolition.

• Ald. David Moore (17) voted against a zoning change that would allow Noble Network of Charter Schools to build a new high school in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood. Zoning Chairman Danny Solis (25) said he was “voting no on charter school expansion in the 14th Ward.” Noble plans to build the new school on a vacant lot at the corner of 47th Street and California Avenue. The site was once home to the an RC Cola bottling plant, which was demolished in 2013. The school would accommodate 1,000 high school students and would cost about $20-30 million to build.

• Moreno Talks Committeeman Race: With one precinct yet to be counted, Ald. Joe Moreno (1) had a slight 211 vote lead over challenger, Maria Teresa Gonzalez, for the 1st Ward Democratic Committeeman race Wednesday morning, and said he remained “very confident” the votes are in his favor. “It’s never been easy going up Joe Berrios, ever. And eight mailers against you, and all that kind of stuff. I’m just glad I have a good organization,” Ald. Moreno told Aldertrack. He later declared victory on his Facebook page.

• Cardenas talks of “tough” election: Ald. George Cardenas (12) was unsuccessful in his effort to unseat State Sen. Tony Munoz for 12th Ward Democratic Committeeman. “We have a strong base, but the fact is that these one-time voters came out because [the Munoz campaign was] pulling them from different directions [in order] to keep the seat,” Cardenas told Aldertrack. Losing by more than 400 votes, Cardenas chalked up the loss to the flood of negative mailers State Sen. Munoz sent out against him, and suggested foul play may have occurred. “There was a lot of stuff that was done. Machines were broken, tapes were not given out, my people were shut out.” Cardenas did, however, get one win last night: the candidate he backed in the 2nd State House District, Theresa Mah, defeated incumbent State Rep. Alex Acevedo. “Theresa won. We had to split the resources. It was tough on both ends,” Cardenas explained. “So I don’t mind the fact that I didn’t win this time. We’re going to keep at it. I think we have a good message of machine politics of the past, and I think that we won from that standpoint of having the seat that had been under HDO’s [Hispanic Democratic Organization] control for 20 years to a progressive.” As for his relationship with State Sen. Munoz, Ald. Cardenas told Aldertrack “we were never actually friends..[Munoz’s organization] helped my campaign initially...there’s politics in everything...I think we disagree on a lot of things.”

• Ken Dunkin’s Future in Politics: Commenting on State Rep. Ken Dunkin’sdefeat to Juliana Stratton, Ald. Walter Burnett (27) suggested that Governor Bruce Rauner might find a place for him in his administration. “Maybe the Governor will give him a job in the state, who knows. The Governor’s folks gave him a lot of money, so I would assume that they are concerned about him.”

While no aldermanic positions were decided last night, many aldermen’s political ambitions were affected by last night’s primary election results. Here’s a quick rundown of who should be happy or glum at today’s Council meeting.

Outright Winners

Proco “Joe” Moreno (1) – After a nail biter of a night, Moreno ended up with a 211 vote lead (out of 12,475 cast) and one precinct left to report over challenger Maria Theresa Gonzalez. Math suggests there aren’t enough absentee ballots and remaining votes for Gonzalez to win. Gonzalez’ campaign was heavily supported by Cook County Democratic Chairman Joe Berrios, who has been feuding with Moreno.

Susan Sadlowski-Garza (10) – She consolidated control over her ward by winning Democratic Committeeman over Fred Carrizales 74-25%.

Mike Zalewski (23) – An easy win for Democratic Committeeman against Charles Hughes, 74-26%.

Ariel Reboyras (30) – Rumor was that he was “concerned” about his race for Democratic Committeeman against Noe Favela. He shouldn’t have been since he won 70.5-29.5%.

Patrick O’Connor (40) – He beat back Dianne Daleiden for Democratic Committeeman 54-45%. This is a narrower margin than when she challenged him for Alderman last Spring.

Returns On Investment

Pat Dowell (6) – She also went in big against State Rep. Ken Dunkin, but also backed Sonya Harper in the 6th State Rep. race. Harper won a 4-way race with 32%.

Brendan Reilly (43) – He went in big against State Rep. Ken Dunkin, who lost last night. But he also backed Jay Travis for State Rep. against incumbent Christian Mitchell. Travis hasn’t conceded yet, but the unofficial returns are against her.

Losses On Investment

Raymond Lopez (15) – Last night was bad for him, as he managed Ald. George Cardenas’ losing campaign for 12th Ward Dem. Committeeman and his candidate for 6th District State Rep., Genita Robinson, lost to Sonya Harper.

Matt O’Shea (19) – He went in big for Anita Alvarez for State’s Attorney. That didn’t turn out so good.

Deb Mell (33) – Hard to call it an “investment” since it’s her dad, but perhaps the night’s biggest story is that incumbent Dem. Committeeman, Dick Mell is down by 143 votes in last night’s unofficial results to challenger Aaron Goldstein, who ironically was Mell’s son-in-law Rod Blagojevich’s attorney. Keep in mind, that Deb Mell was down by 8 votes in last Spring’s aldermanic election, and ultimately gained enough absentee votes to win 50%+1. This isn’t over yet.

Marge Laurino (39) – Her former staffer and campaign treasurer, Patrick Malloy, lost for Dem. Committeeman to Robert Murphy by almost 10 points. Murphy lost to Laurino for Alderman last Spring, and is rumored to be aiming for her seat in 2019.

Anthony Napolitano (41) – His backed candidate for Dem. Committeeman, Andrew Devito, was trounced by Tim Heneghan by 26 points in a three-way race. Devito and Napolitano were slammed as “Republicans” in mailers sent to the ward.

Outright Losers

Michelle Harris (8) – Her anemic campaign for Cook County Clerk of Courts against Dorothy Brown never really took off. Although she lost, returning to Council as Rules Committee Chair isn’t much of a come down.

George Cardenas (12) – In a fight for dominance over the Southwest Side, Cardenas lost his challenge to former ally and friend, State Sen. Tony Muñoz for Dem. Committeeman 53-47%. Cardenas has been gradually building influence, including becoming Chair of the Council Latino Caucus, as a run up to the coming top Latino contest: Cong. Luis Gutierrez’ seat after he retires. His loss last night dings him for that effort.

Toni Foulkes (16) – After scrapping to be appointed to the vacant Ward Committeeman seat left by JoAnn Thompson’s passing, Foulkes ended up losing to her closest aldermanic competitor, Stephanie Coleman, who lost to her last spring. Coleman is also the daughter of former 16th Ward Alderman, Shirley Coleman.

Howard Brookins, Jr. (21) – He failed to win even 20% of the vote against incumbent Cong. Bobby Rush yesterday, suggesting that even if Rush were to retire, Brookins’ would barely have a leg up to succeed him.

Other Dem. Committeeman Changes

Tim Egan (2) – He ran an uncontested campaign to succeed Bob Fioretti.

Kevin Bailey (20) – Won an uncontested campaign to succeed Ald. Willie Cochran. Bailey forced Cochran into a runoff campaign for alderman last Spring.

Michael Rodriguez (22) – An ally and former staffer for Ald. Rick Muñoz, this seat was handed off to him.

Lucy Moog (43) – Wife of tech venture capitalist Matt Moog, and close friend of the Emanuel family, Moog was handed off the seat by Ald. Michele Smith.

The Council gallery was full but generally calm for a three hour Zoning Committee meeting that included passage of new zoning plans for the Lathrop Homes housing project and the old Edgewater Hospital. Held to the near end of the agenda, the Lathrop Homes plan was opposed by about a dozen residents and academics, but then quickly passed unanimously. The Edgewater Hospital plan was passed unanimously after brief testimony from the developer.

Members Present: Chairman Danny Solis (25), Vice Chair James Cappleman (46), Joe Moreno (1), David Moore (17), Walter Burnett (27), Margaret Laurino (39), Tom Tunney (44).

Non-Members: Brian Hopkins (2), Milly Santiago (31), Scott Waguespack (32), John Arena (45).

Unlike the February 18 Plan Commission hearing on Lathrop Homes’ Planned Development, which drew three hours of divided testimony on the master plan, today’s hearing drew limited opposition. The Plan For Transformation project for a 30-acre Chicago Housing Authority development at the intersections of Diversey, Damen and Clybourn streets calls for for 1,208 units. Of those units, 92 will be located within a senior home and all of those units will be Section 8 Housing, making the total percentage of affordable units at the Lathrop site about 60%.

The remaining the 1,116 units will be distributed as follows: 400 public housing units (36%), 494 market rate units (44%), and 222 affordable units (20%) for families with an annual median income (AMI) of about $40,000 for a family of four.

The project, represented by Rich Klawiter from DLA Piper, also includes three sets of 15,000 square foot retail spaces and a 13-story residential building.

The plan presented yesterday only contains details for the development north of DIversey Avenue, the Phase 1 part of the development, about a third of the total units to be developed.

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), who represents a small corner of the project site, spoke first against the project, saying that despite a decade of negotiation over CHA’s plans, “In my estimation we ended up in a place where we did not think would happen. It’s difficult for me to show support for this convoluted product.”

Waguespack’s testimony rolled off a litany of concerns, including a lack of a LEED certification plan, which was part of the original project RFP, more retail than originally proposed, no city plan for local schools to manage the growing population, too much density for an already dense area, no city plans for increased public transit and lack of clear plans for the area south of Diversey.

Over the following 45 minutes, current tenants, neighbors and academics who have studied the plan opposed approval of the project on similar grounds as Waguespack.

Ward Miller, Executive Director of Presentation Chicago continued his support of Phase 1 of the project, but called on the Committee, “to address only issues pertaining the northern half of the development, and to postpone any decisions related to the south half of the development until that is approved by Plan Commission,” because, “the south half of Lathrop has not been fully planned.”

Wrapping up the testimony, Ald. Joe Moreno (1), who represents a majority of the project’s residents, spoke strongly in favor of the project, “For too long CHA has been… talking about redeveloping for 15 years at least,” he said. In his opinion, the development team of Heartland Housing, Bickerdike Redevelopment and Related Midwest have been flexible. The agreed to shorten the proposed tower, add on affordable housing units and reduce the planned retail space.

“Walking away and kicking the can down the road, as Ald. Waguespack would like to do, is just not fair to the residents,” Moreno said. “The vision against this is basically stall, stall, delay, delay.”

“I ask this committee to accept this challenge and accept this zoning change today so we can move forward with affordable and public housing on the North Side where it’s desperately needed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman,” Moreno shouted as he slammed the microphone down to applause.

Soon after, the committee passed the ordinance unanimously.

Edgewater Hospital

The Former Edgewater Medical Center building at 5700 N. Ashland Ave. is coming to the end of a decade-long process as the committee unanimously approved plans presented by MCZ Development to convert the old hospital–closed in 2006–into 141 apartments, and to build a new park to the west of the building.

Represented by Nick Ftikas of the Law Offices of Sam Banks, the project includes 78 parking spaces, a mix of 141 studios, 1 and 2 bedroom rental apartments, and on-site affordable housing. The Chicago Park District will also clear and take possession of a 44,200 square foot park to the west of the building.

Like the Lathrop Homes project, Edgewater had already been approved by the Plan Commission, and thus did not attract as much testimony as during the PD process. With only only one concerned citizen speaking on a lack of parking in the development, the project was passed unanimously after four minutes of discussion.

This report includes a review of rumor, innuendo, background conversations and everything from our notebook that we can’t source directly. Take it all with a giant grain of salt and make sure you vote today. Since most boundaries are too crazy to explain, we won’t describe the district boundaries. But you can download the last Illinois Racing Form for free today if you want to take a look.

As our team has talked to local campaigns and their supporters, there’s a number of observations we’ve had and heard repeatedly:

1. Bernie Sanders has a growing popularity among minority communities in Chicago.

2. A sizable number of moderates seem likely to pull Republican ballots to vote against Donald Trump.

3. The fact that early voting numbers broke the 2008 record is meaningful, but nobody really knows how much.

4. People are losing confidence in the predictive value of polling, especially in minority communities.

Cook County State’s Attorney

While we’ve heard a great deal of confidence coming from the Kim Foxx campaign, namely that they expect big support from African-American voters, it would seem too early to count Anita Alvarez out. State’s Attorney is a relatively low voter information race: Most people lack a clear idea of what State’s Attorney does for them. Public polls have never shown Alvarez at a clear deficit and there are a large number of conservative Democratic voters in the suburbs. This race is very much up in the air.

Clerk of Circuit Court

On the opposite end of the spectrum, most of what we’ve heard from organizers on the South and West Sides is, “Where’s Michelle Harris?” Her campaign has been light, while Dorothy Brown’s name recognition is high and many Black South Side voters know her as someone who employs people they know. Jacob Meister’s campaign has had little penetration beyond the Lakefront and progressives.

2nd State Rep: Mah-Acevedo

Theresa Mah has run a well-organized campaign with significant endorsements. But we’ve seen plenty of non-Organization candidates go down in this neck of the woods. Alex Acevedo is supported by his father, outgoing State Rep. Eddie Acevedo, as well as other local Committeemen.

5th State Rep: Dunkin-Stratton

As of yesterday, over $5.4 million has been committed to this gonzo election that will likely attract about 14,000 voters. With so much money and so many resources, it’s impossible for anyone who is not counting pluses to have a real idea of the outcome. Polling such an over-sampled universe is likely to return bad results. However, Juliana Stratton has had a clear, positive message from the beginning: Elect someone who represents you; while Ken Dunkin has relied on an increasingly negative campaign. Hard to be sure, but it would seem under these circumstances, Stratton’s message clarity gives her an edge.

15th State Rep: D’Amico-Charlier

Jac Charlier has been campaigning one way or another for almost two years. He and his supporters are motivated to take down John D’Amico and the 39th Ward Organization. But their circle may not be enough, as John D’Amico has been taking the race seriously, flooding the area with mailers and outspending Charlier 6.5 to 1.

22nd House: Madigan-Gonzales

While Jason Gonzales has had plenty of resources, free press and what seems to be a well-organized campaign, the fact that 500 people early voted in one day in the 13th Ward seems to suggest Team Mike Madigan is running points up the board.

26th State Rep: Mitchell-Travis

This is the third time Christian Mitchell has been targeted by the Chicago Teacher’s Union, and the second time Jay Travis has challenged him. This time around though, Mitchell has less support from some area aldermen. But his name recognition and the general argument from CTU–that he has supported some pro-charter school measures–doesn’t seem to the strong enough to oust an incumbent.

40th State Rep: Patel-Andrade

We’ve been told alternating stories about Harish Patel: either he isn’t knocking doors enough or he’s got a giant crew knocking every door in sight. But we’ve always heard one story about Jaime Andrade: He’s a shoe leather fiend with a close relationship with everyone in the 33rd Ward Organization. Andrade has also been been outspending Patel 3 to 1.

2nd State Senate: Alfaro-Aquino

This is Omar Aquino’s second run at office within a year. He narrowly lost the 36th Ward Aldermanic race to Gilbert Villegas last April.  Aquino is heavily backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and Cook County Democratic Chairman Joe Berrios. Angelica Alfarohas gotten big support from charter school proponents, turning this into a (relatively) expensive primary with over $800,000 spent. We expect another close election.

5th State Senate: Van Pelt-Fioretti

Fresh off an (unsuccessful) mayoral campaign, Bob Fioretti has strong name recognition and has been running radio ads featuring the endorsement of Rev. Jesse Jackson. But Fioretti has had trouble explaining how incumbent Patricia Van Pelt has really wronged voters. Van Pelt is also backed by a strong group of West Side aldermen and their organizations. She will be hard to beat.

12th Ward Democratic Committeeman: Muñoz-Cardenas

If you’ve been reading Aldertrack, you know that this race between incumbent and State Senator Tony Muñoz and Ald. George Cardenas has been a grudge match. One-time friends and allies, their ire for one another has taken Greek tragedy proportions. They both know the turf, and know how to campaign well. How this one turns out is a total guess for anyone.

Some time before Wednesday’s monthly City Council meeting, Finance Chairman Ed Burke (14) will hold a private screening for aldermen to show video footage purporting to show Chicago police officers conducting an illegal search and seizure in Morgan Park. The footage, captured from a witness’ cell phone, is part of a settlement case the full City Council is scheduled to vote on this week. The Finance committee considered the settlement on Friday.

The City’s Law Department is asking aldermen to approve a $205,000 settlement from a May 2013 incident involving eight 22nd District Chicago Police officers who allegedly conducted an unlawful strip search of Caprice Halley, Tevin Ford, and Robert Douglas.

According to Jane Notz, First Assistant Corporation Counsel for the city’s Law Department, who testified at Friday’s meeting, eight officers were traveling in a convoy patrolling the Morgan Park area when officers saw what they suspected was the sale of drugs by the driver of a maroon car to a pedestrian. As the officers approached to investigate, the maroon car drove away, she said. The pedestrian told the officers he had just purchased heroin from the car’s driver. The pedestrian was arrested and the officers proceeded to search for the maroon car.  

Notz said two officers located and then stopped the maroon car, both officers state that they saw Douglas, who was the driver, quickly hand something to Halley who was in the front passenger seat, but, according to Notz, the plaintiffs deny that occurred.

The third plaintiff in the suit, Ford, was in the back seat. According to Notz, Officers told Ford and Douglas to get out of the car, and told Halley to stay in the car and keep her hands on the dashboard, while the officers radioed for a female officer to pat her down.

“A neighbor captured what happened next on a cell phone video. As shown on the video, while the officers waited for the female officer to arrive, they performed multiple pat downs of Mr. Douglas and Mr. Ford. They also asked Mrs. Halley to exit the vehicle and they put her in handcuffs while they searched it,” Notz explained to aldermen. Three of the officers took Douglas to a gangway and handcuffed one of his wrists above his head to a burglar bar, she added. “As the officers talked to Mr. Douglas, he pulled down his pants and undergarments and bent over. After one of the officers looked at his naked buttocks, Mr. Douglas pulled up his pants and began speaking with the officers.”

“Shortly afterward, the officers noted they were being recorded. Two of the officers then relocated Mr. Douglas and Mr. Ford to an alley nearby. They state that they did this because they were impeding traffic where they were. Other officers waited with Mrs. Halley until the female officer arrived, and then they relocated to the alley as well. None of the events in the alley were captured on video.”

The city wants to settle the case because one of the plaintiffs, Douglas, died in an unrelated incident a month later before he could be deposed for testimony, and because, according to Notz, the plaintiffs will rely on the video to argue that the officers improperly instructed Mr. Douglas to remove his clothing, although officers deny giving this instruction.

Ald. David Moore (17) asked about the officer’s conduct history. Notz said seven of those officers have between one and four complaints each, but “none of those complaints have resulted in a sustained finding.”

“So one of the officers had four complaints,” Ald. Moore followed up.

“One of the officers has four complaints against him, yes,” Notz replied.

When Ald. Moore followed up to ask what those complaints are, Notz referred to Deputy Chief Eddie Welch with the Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs, naming the officer in question on mic. Ald. Tom Tunney (44) quickly interjected that he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for her to name the officer.

Deputy Chief Welch then testified that the officer in question has “one open investigation at this time.” Then he proceeded to say that he had five complaints over the past five years. “I don’t have all the facts,” he said.

“So you don’t have with you any of those four cases?” Moore responded.

“We have two IPRA cases, and one is involving the allegation, or the execution of a search warrant. One is searching a vehicle without justification. Those are IPRA investigations. And there is one is 2013, issuing a false citation, which is also closed an exonerated in 2013.”

None of the officers involved in the suit have been disciplined for the event in question, Welch added, when asked by Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26). Welch said none of the plaintiffs were made available for questioning to pursue an investigation into possible disciplinary action, but, “it is a good likelihood that this case will be reviewed and be continued. Yes, sir.”

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) asked for clarity on what the video purports to show. “It was taken from an upstairs apartment in a building across the street,” Notz added.

Ald. Moore (17) then asked if aldermen could watch the footage before approving the settlement Wednesday. Chairman Burke said he would arrange something for this week.

The committee also approved another settlement, a $625,000 payout to Marlon Pendleton, who was wrongfully convicted in 1993 of a sexual assault. He was exonerated and released from prison in the fall of 2006, after DNA testing proved he was innocent.

Homebuyer’s Assistance Program

The Finance Committee approved Mayor Emanuel’s plan to create a program aimed at better connecting new home buyers with financing for a down payment or closing costs associated with buying a new home.

“One of the number one impediments to families purchasing homes is coming up with the down payment… Many of them spend more in rent on a monthly basis than they would on a mortgage on a home because they can’t come up with the upfront payment,” said Carole Brown, the city’s Chief Financial Officer.

The Homebuyer’s Assistance Program will provide a grant of up to 7% of the total loan amount based on an applicant’s income, and all mortgage loans will be a term of 30 years at a fixed interest rate.

According to CFO Brown, the city will put $1 million toward launching the program, with the expectation that it will “become self sustaining over time.”  The Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT) will oversee the program, and work with “authorized lending institutions” to shore up capital for applicants.

George K. Baum, which CFO Brown characterized as a “nationally acclaimed company with over 80 years experience in the housing finance community,” will assist in reviewing loan information and reporting monthly to the CIT. The city plans to bring in two other financial firms to “broaden the group of lenders,” Brown noted, including Cabrera Capital. Martin Cabrera, a founder, currently serves as Chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission, which wasn’t mentioned at the meeting. Melvin and Company, an African-American-owned firm, will also serve as a lender, and Amalgamated Bank will serve as an escrow-agent in charge of dispersing the funds.

The details of how the program will be funded and who will be liable for any loan defaults was a main issue of concern for Ald. Tom Tunney (44) and Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26).

After much back and forth, Brown offered up this example to help explain how the program will playout: Say a person wants to buy a $100,000 home and they take out a $90,000 mortgage with a lender. If the homebuyer qualifies for this program, they could get a grant from the CIT for up to $10,000 to help pay off their down payment or closing costs. The lender then has 30 days to give that $10,000 back to the CIT, so it can lend it to another homebuyer, and thus the program, in theory, will become self-sustaining.

“If the homebuyer stays in their home for five years, pays the principal and interest on their loan on time, participated in the training each year, 20% of that loan becomes a grant and they don’t have to pay it back. So at the end of the 5th year, they don’t owe the city or the lender the full amount,” Brown said.

Borrowers will also have to pay an administrative fee of no more than 2.5% of the total loan amount. That fee, which is subject to change based on market conditions, Brown said, will be amortized over the 30 year mortgage, and the proceeds will be split between the servicer, Cabrera, Melvin, and the CIT.

In the example mentioned above, the borrower will end up paying an additional $25,000 in service fees over the life of the loan. Ald. Tunney found this concerning, saying he didn’t want the city to be in the business of making money off of low-income residents. But CFO Brown said that’s not the reason the fee is in place, nor is it the purpose of the program.

In order to qualify for the program, the home buyer must have an annual income between $87,000 and $133,000, which is based on a percentage of area median income for a family of four.

As for potential defaults, the bank that lends the money will put a subordinate lien on the home for the grant amount until it’s forgiven. Neither the CIT nor the city has exposure to the borrower. CFO Brown added that the borrower education programs the homebuyer must attend in order to get the loan will help “mitigate issues of people trying to purchase a home they can’t afford.”

As for why the trust, not the city, is running the program, CFO Brown said the city wants to “leverage their resources” and “further the mission of the trust.”

The ordinance authorizing the new homebuyer program also includes a provision increasing the amount of money of another city-run homebuying assistance program: the Mortgage Credit Certificate program. That program will get an additional $5 million for a total $80 million budget.  

The MCC program, which the Department of Planning and Development oversees, provides certificates that allow a taxpayer to claim a tax credit for a portion of the interest paid on a mortgage.

“The Department of Planning and Development is seeing a potential increase in interest, particularly that may coincide with the homebuyer assistance program in people wanting to obtain mortgage credit certificates,” James McDonald, Deputy Corporation Counsel for the city’s Law Department testified, after Ald. Tunney had noted the change in the substitute ordinance introduced at the meeting, “does more than fix scrivener’s errors, which is what Chairman Burke said when it was adopted.”

Other Highlights:

• Tampon Tax Exemption: The committee approved this ordinance from Chairman Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Leslie Hairston (5) that would exempt feminine hygiene products from the city’s sales tax.
• Smokeless Tobacco Ban: Under the ordinance the committee approved, the use of smokeless tobacco, would be banned at Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field, as well as other sporting venues across the city. Three major U.S. cities–Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston–already have rules on the books outlawing chewing tobacco at sports venues. If adopted by the full City Council on Wednesday, the measure would become law 90 days from that vote. Violators of the new rules would face fines up to $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and up to $2,500 for each additional offense that occurs within one year of the first violation. Chairman Burke directly introduced the ordinance at Friday’s meeting, and had U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on tap to testify in support. It passed without objection or concern from aldermen, unlike Mayor Emanuel’s tobacco reforms, which have been an uphill battle for the Mayor. The Chicago White Sox issued a letter of support.
• Ald. Jason Ervin (28) held his ordinance in committee that would remove J.P. Morgan Chase from the list of banks the city holds its money. Ald. Ervin introduced the ordinance after the bank said it would be closing down its only branch in Ervin’s ward.
• Garbage Fee Collection Clarification: The committee approved a direct introduction from Budget Director Alex Holt. The item is in reference to the new garbage fee the City Council approved with the 2016 budget. According to Holt, the ordinance made “a technical correction” to “codify billing and collection policies” associated with the new fee since it’s collected on the water bill. Holt said the amendment clarifies the revenue collected from residents will be properly allocated among the water, sewer and garbage fee funds.

Two council committees are holding a joint hearing on the city-run health program for senior citizens. Ald. Tom Tunney (44), chairman of the Council’s Special Events and Cultural Affairs Committee, and Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1), chairman of the Council’s Human Relations Committee, had introduced a resolution in January that called for hearings on, “the city’s ability to assist with senior residents’ stabilization program.”

In the preamble of the resolution, they note that according to the 2010 Census, 10.3% of the city’s population are 65 years or older, and that number is projected to double by 2040. It also cites a study from the U.S. Surgeon General that touts the health benefits of exercise for seniors as a way for reducing risks of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and other ailments associated with aging.

Tunney and Moreno have asked the Director of the city’s Department of Family and Supportive Services and leaders of the city’s Senior Services Area Agency on Aging to appear before their joint hearing today to “discuss the city’s ability to help our Senior Residents ‘age in place,’” and promote programs that encourage “cultural enrichment, health and fitness.”

Yesterday the Chicago Board of Elections provided this absentee ballot report, in addition to early vote results:

UNOFFICIAL Early Voting - Day by Day - Citywide data thru 8:50 pm, March 9, 2016
Ballots           Date      Sites Open

UNOFFICIAL Cumulative: Feb. 17, 2016 thru March 9, 2016 - As of 8:50 pm
Ward ......Early Voting Ballots

A new candidate committee was filed yesterday for “Friends of Sophia King”, to support Sophia King for alderman. The address for the committee is listed in the 4th Ward. Aldertrack spoke with the committee’s chairman, Evonne Taylor, who would not provide details about King, but confirmed King had applied to fill Burns’ vacant seat and said the Emanuel Administration has not told her who the finalists are.

The search committee tasked with submitting names to Mayor Rahm Emanuel faced a deadline last Friday. Emanuel Administration officials told Aldertrack this week 18 people applied, but would not disclose names.

King is president of Harriet’s Daughters, “a non-profit group of professional women whose mission is to work collaboratively with peer organizations to advocate for, create and support policies that secure employment and wealth creation opportunities for African-American communities.” U.S. Senate candidate and former Urban League Executive Director Andrea Zopp is also listed as a member, but the organization keeps relatively quiet on social media - its Facebook and Twitter pages are pretty much dark.

This morning the Council’s Aviation Committee will consider a plan by a freshman alderman who wants more Council oversight of runway construction at O’Hare Airport, despite concerns from Aviation Department officials who argue the ordinance would “stunt” O’Hare’s growth and “jeopardize” progress already made as part of a multi-billion dollar modernization plan.

But City Council sources tell Aldertrack it’s unlikely Ald. Anthony Napolitano’s (41) proposal will advance out of committee, because of the legal issues related to  federal aviation rules, outstanding agreements with airlines and unions, and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding already made available for the O’Hare Modernization Program.

“There’s a chance we might get sued because of what we’re asking here,” Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30), a member on the committee told Aldertrack. “I don’t know in all fairness if we can push this ordinance through.”

Another alderman on the committee, who spoke on background, suggested the hearing on the ordinance is only taking place because aldermanic offices were bombarded with emails from constituents demanding a hearing, following an email blast from Ald. Napolitano’s office last week telling them to do so. At the time, Ald. Napolitano told Aldertrack his lobbying effort wasn’t a ploy to force Committee Aviation Chairman Mike Zalewski’s hand, but to show his colleagues how pressing of an issue this in his community.

Ald. Napolitano, whose 41st Ward includes O’Hare, has argued that if the City Council has the authority to approve stop signs, they should also get to decide if O’Hare can build out its runways, especially at a time when airplane jet noise is a primary concern for North Side residents.

In a letter he sent his colleagues on the Aviation Committee, Napolitano wrote, “We all have requested a stop sign at some point in our Aldermanic career. Think of the steps required for this simple request. An introduction of an Ordinance, CDOT traffic study, approval from the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee and finally approval from the full City Council. All of this for something as simple as a stop sign yet a $700 Million dollar runway that could have a tremendous impact on the quality of life of so many, we have no input.”

Napolitano’s ordinance would prevent Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans from completing or starting any new construction projects at O’Hare until the City Council has a chance to look over and vote on the plans. Specifically, Commissioner Evans wouldn’t have the authority to “manage and control all matters and things pertaining to the construction, reconfiguration, decommissioning, and destruction of runways and taxiways,” without first obtaining approval from the City Council’s Aviation Committee through a public hearing on the matter.

Officials with the Department of Aviation and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce are expected to testify against the ordinance at today’s meeting.

A challenger for the 15th Ward Democratic Committeeman spot is kept his election hopes alive Friday evening with an order for an emergency Illinois Appellate Court hearing, despite a ruling by the Chicago Board of Elections and a judgement from the Cook County Circuit Court to remove him from the ballot. Jesus “Jesse” Iniguez, Committeeman challenger to incumbent and 15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez, has been fighting a challenge to signatures on his ballot petition for close to three months. The players in the ballot case are all linked to a complicated, messy campaign for Democratic Committeeman in the 12th Ward, where Lopez is managing the challenger’s campaign.

As reported by the Chicago Board of Elections.

Unofficial Early Voting – Day by Day – Citywide data through 6:30 p.m., March 6, 2016
Ballots       Date      Sites Open

Unofficial Cumulative: Feb. 17 through 6:30 p.m., March 6, 2016
Ward ......Early Voting Ballots

The Cook County Assessor’s office decided to weigh in on the fight between incumbent 12th Ward Democratic Committeeman Tony Muñoz and challenger George Cardenas. Yesterday we reported a flyer Muñoz’s campaign has been passing out promoting a property tax rebate seminar by the Assessor’s office at the same location and time as early voting, the McKinley Park Field House. It’s not a surprise that Cardenas’ campaign isn’t too happy about the arrangement.

State Sen. Munoz, “is guilty of [voter fraud] for handing out tax rebates at the polling place,” Cardenas campaign manager and 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez told Aldertrack Tuesday.

Following our report, Cook County Assessor spokesman Tom Shaer contacted Aldertrack to ensure their office was not involved in any shenanigans.

“Senator Muñoz went through my department by phone weeks ago (approximately February 12th) and requested we answer the many questions his constituents have re: property taxes,” said Shaer in an email.

“It was my personal decision to use McKinley Field House,” Shaer added. “However, we require input from officials. My coordinator definitely talked to Senator Muñoz’s office about what location would work, and I usually go with whatever facility we’ve used in the past.” Shaer said they’ve held multiple events at McKinley in the past, and he was totally unaware of when early voting began when the event was scheduled.

Also: Recognize the name Tom Shaer? He’s the Channel 5 sportscaster you remember from the 1990’s. He left NBC5 in 1999 and broadcasting in 2009.