The City Council's newly formed LGBT Caucus will formally announce their inception at a press conference immediately following today's City Council meeting. With the recent addition of Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) to the Council, there are now five openly gay aldermen comprising 10% of the 50-member body. Other members include Ald. Tom Tunney (44), Ald. James Cappleman (47), and Ald. Deb Mell (33).

Caucus members have told Aldertrack that they have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss legislative priorities, but this will be the first time they speak to the public as an organized group.

Start Time: 10:12

Members Present: Chairman Joe Moore (49), Vice-Chair Pat Dowell (3), Leslie Hairston (5),  Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Michael Scott Jr. (24), Deb Mell (33), Walter Burnett Jr. (28), Ariel Reboyras (30), James Cappleman (46)

Department of Planning and Development Members who testified: Efrain Hernandez-Diaz, Sarah Wilson, Bryan Esenberg, Michele Rhymes, Tracy Sanchez, Cary Steinbuck

All 12 items on the Housing and Real Estate Committee’s agenda passed in a relatively short meeting Monday. The only hiccup in the meeting was Chairman Moore (49) repeatedly mistaking new committee member Ald. David Moore (17) with Ald. Gregory Mitchell (7), which he soon corrected after the aldermen seated around him whispered repeated corrections. More Moores, more problems.

Monday's action included a vote to re-up the Low Income Housing Trust Fund’s status as local administering agent for the Illinois Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP), meaning it distributes state rental housing support money in Chicago. Peter Strazzabosco, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Planning and Development, says the agreement’s been renewed every four years since Illinois established the RHSP roughly a decade ago.

Tom McNulty, the president of the LIHTF since its founding 25 years ago, says the fund is “breathing again” after a court case over the constitutionality of certain fees collected for the RHSP held up funds for two years. McNulty says the Fund is ready to find new projects and expand services. Several aldermen took time to praise the Fund’s work, including Chairman Moore (49), Ald. James Cappleman (46), and Ald. Pat Dowell (3), though Ald. Dowell had some questions about the frequency and transparency of the Fund’s subcontracting bidding process. Ald. David Moore said he looks forward to working with the Fund’s board to find ways to keep 17th Ward residents from being displaced.

The committee also approved an amendment to a redevelopment agreement with Wings Metro LLC’s multi-use project in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. The $8.2M project converts an old police station into a domestic violence shelter. The city already approved the negotiated sale of the land, but Monday’s ordinance clarified that the city is responsible for remediation of off-site contaminants found in a nearby alley left from an old gasoline tank.

The committee also approved the $36K sale of a city-owned vacant lot at 265 E. Garfield Park that would become a landscaped venue with a pavilion for performances. The space will be leased to University of Chicago for arts programming. Ald. Dowell told the committee she had some questions about the pavilion. The committee voted to approve the issue for council, but Moore offered Dowell an opportunity to include further information for the full report to Council. The city also approved sale of a parcel at 1245-1257 E. 72nd Pl. for $88K that Kimbark Studios is planning to use as a public sculpture garden, and the conveyance of a once-vacant corner lot at 4200 S. Vincennes Ave. to Neighbor Space, who is already using the area as a block garden.

Vice-Chair Dowell will present the committee’s report at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, as Ald. Moore will be out of town for a meeting.

The Committee on Zoning meets today at 10:00 a.m. Among the proposed zoning changes on the agenda is an application [#18378] to construct a three story Whole Foods containing 79,5000 square feet of retail on the corner of Belmont, Ashland and Lincoln Avenues in the 44th Ward to replace an older Whole Foods just two blocks north on Ashland. Novak Construction purchased the former LaSalle Bank site and Ashland Belmont, LLC is the applicant on record for the project.  Under development for over seven years, this site had previously been slated at different times for apartments, a rumored Walmart and a Target.

The University of Chicago has requested a zoning change [#18336] to construct a new charter school, The University of Chicago Charter School-Woodlawn, on the property known as Residential Planned Development Number 723, land currently owned by the City of Chicago. The University had originally proposed expandingtheir Woodlawn campus, but eventually decided to build a new facility on the property which expands over several addresses, or about two acres of land between 63rd and 64th Streets and Greenwood Ave. According to the application, the school for middle-school and high-school students and will be three stories tall and about 70,000 square feet. It will also include “extensive green roof space, outdoor activity space, on-site parking, and community space”.

The Committee is also scheduled to discuss a zoning change to a property in River North near Merchandise Mart. The Chicago Transit Authority and Design Studio LLC own the plot on 201-223 W. Hubbard Street and 412-420 N. Wells Street–it’s currently a parking lot underneath the elevated CTA train. They’ve requested a zoning change to allow for construction of a new office building with commercial space on the ground floor.

There is also a request in the 39th Ward to rezone a one story high brick and concrete block building and adjacent lot on 6024-26 N Keystone Ave into manufacturing plant. The applicant, Peter Spyroboulos, intends to build on the existing structure.

[Ed. Note: This is our first ZBA hearing report. We plan to cover future hearings and would like feedback from those who regularly attend ZBA hearings and who follow them closely. Please drop us a note if you have comments.]

It was a marathon day for the Zoning Board of Appeals, with board members spending a bulk of the first half of the day-long meeting grilling medical marijuana dispensary applicants. After working through a routine collection of special use applications for nail salons and barber shops, board members spent hours voicing concerns over security, ownership, and community involvement with the dispensaries. By the end of the day, nearly all the nail salons were approved but the future of three dispensaries was still up in the air until ZBA’s next meeting in August.

Start Time: 9:21 a.m.
Members Present: Jonathan Swain (chairman), Sam Toia, Sol Flores, Sheila O’Grady
Meeting Agenda – Map

Modern Cannabis, LLC – 1st Ward

The first and only successful marijuana dispensary applicant of the day was Modern Cannabis, LLC and their proposed dispensary relocation to 2847 W. Fullerton Ave; a hearing that took just over thirty minutes. Their initial application made headlines as a unique partnership between a pharmacist, Barry Golin and arcade/bar owners, Danny and Doug Marks. The Marks initially wanted to set up shop in the expanded game room of their bar at 1368 N. Milwaukee Ave. but argued Thursday before the board that their new Fullerton location is a better fit. Tom Murphy, attorney for Modern Cannabis, says the Milwaukee location, “gave us the opportunity for enhanced security.” Their initial and revised applications were both approved by the state.

There’s no public parking outside the new location, but Murphy says there will be valet service. ZBA Chairman Jonathan Swain expressed concern almost immediately about transporting patients to and from the building without a secure parking lot. Owner Daniel Marks says they’re applying for a valet loading zone, and they’ve located off-street parking spaces and a valet company for patients. They also plan to have appointments for handicapped, sick, and infirmed patients to meet at the train or their parking spaces.

The board approved the dispensary relocation on condition of Ald. Joe Moreno’s (1) approval of the valet loading zone, and also strongly encouraged the owners to consult with newly-elected Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), whose ward borders the new location.

DNA Info reported the applicants hoped to have their shop up and running by August. They say it was one of the first dispensaries to be granted a special use permit by the city in October.

Harborside Illinois Grown Medicine, Inc – 8th Ward

The owners of Harborside Illinois Grown Medicine, Inc. faced more difficulties in their hearing. Their proposed dispensary in Chatham, at 1111 East 87th St., faced over an hour of questioning from the Board. CEO Les Hollis, a former investment banker with Goldman Sachs, says their project is a joint venture between California-based Harborside, the biggest dispensary operation in the country, and Illinois Grown Medicine, which has a marijuana cultivation operation in Illinois. Hollis says they’ve already been awarded a state license, but the state has not approved the relocation.

Chairman Swain pressed Hollis and Craig Moore, who is handling Illinois Grown Medicine’s real estate matters, about their community outreach efforts and the new location. Hollis argues that the new location, which they describe as a wellness-medical campus, is better suited for their business. He says after the designation of the Pullman historic district, Ald. Anthony Beale (9) suggested they move further north. Hollis says Ald. Michelle Harris (8) supports the Chatham location.

Board members peppered owners and attorney James Vasselli (Del Galdo Law Group) with questions about charitable contributions, day-to-day operations, and ownership, but the consideration seemed to derail over the accuracy of economic disclosure statements.

“I need Illinois Grown Medicine LLC,” Chairman Swain said, “IGM LLC is not Illinois Grown Medicine LLC. That’s Business Organizations [from] law school first year. Those are two separate companies.” There seemed to be a mixup between IGM LLC, which is related to the dispensary business, and Illinois Grown Medicine LLC, which is related to a separate cultivation business.

Swain then said until the paperwork error was fixed, the Board would have to postpone deliberation. Ownership percentages were brought up later in testimony. “Let me get with my attorneys and make sure we get this right,” Hollis said.

Testimony continued for nearly an hour after the ownership mixup. The Board continued to push the group on security, hiring, and the cost of the product for patients. There was only one person who spoke against (you guessed it)–Mr. George Blakemore. ZBA will return to the issue at their June 19 meeting.

Before a lunch break, all applications regarding salons and barber shops from the morning’s proceedings then quickly passed, with the exception of Paradise Nail Corporation’s application, which Ald. Patrick Thompson (11) asked to be continued, and DBA Mercy’s Unisex Salon, which had objectors, but no expert to testify in favor.

When the Zoning Board of Appeals reconvened for their afternoon session, they postponed hearings on two proposed medical marijuana dispensaries in the 41st and 50th Wards.

420 Capital Management, LLC – 50th Ward

Thomas S. Moore, attorney for 420 Capital Management, LLC, requested a continuance for his client’s application to open a medical marijuana dispensary on 6501 N. Western Avenue, because he was recently hired to replace the applicant’s former attorney. The local alderman, Debra Silverstein (50), opposes the location for the dispensary because of its proximity to a neighborhood park. She sent out a ward-wide email reminding residents of the ZBA hearing and was present for the hearing in the Council Chambers.

Union Group of Illinois, LLC – 41st Ward

The Board approved Ald. Anthony Napolitano’s (41) request to postpone a hearing on a medical marijuana dispensary in the 41st Ward, despite concerns from the applicant’s attorney, who said a delayed hearing could jeopardize their application with the state. Union Group of Illinois, LLC applied for a special use permit to open a dispensary on 6428-30 N. Milwaukee Avenue shortly after the state approved their application on February 3, 2014. But Ald. Napolitano said he had little knowledge of the application.

“Just coming into the office on the 19th, I don’t feel that my ward has had enough time to review this or even understand it,” Napolitano testified. “It’s only been nine days since anything has been put in front of anyone in the ward.”

The attorney for the applicant, Joseph P. Gattuso with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, said while he understood the alderman’s concerns, the company had been in talks with Napolitano’s predecessor. Gattuso added pushing the hearing to August “will kill us” because the applicant has until June 3rd to submit a zoning approval to the state.

A Fresh Start Sober Living Environments, Inc. – 1st Ward

The ZBA meeting concluded with one of the lengthiest debate of the day; nearly four hours was spent hearing testimony on a proposed expansion of a for-profit drug rehabilitation center on 530 N. Marshfield Ave. in the 1st Ward part of West Town.

The applicant, A Fresh Start Sober Living Environments, Inc., operates eleven group homes in Chicago for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. The homes don’t accept insurance or offer on-site treatment, none of the staff are trained medical professionals, and the weekly cost of renting a room ranging from $175 to $300, according to testimony from the company’s president, Leonid Goldfarb.

Goldfarb sought approval to add an additional four beds to his West Town facility, which is a three bedroom, 2 ½ story, single family dwelling zoned to hold 8 occupants. He said the expansion was necessary to help their mission of “saving people’s lives” because recovering addicts who live in a communal setting are less likely to relapse. He was represented by former Zoning Committee Chairman William J.P. Banks and received support from Robin Belleau, the Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyer’s Assistant Program, which houses many of its law students, lawyers, and judges recovering from alcohol and drug addiction at Fresh Start sites.

But during the lengthy cross-examination and public comment portion of the meeting, a coalition of neighborhood residents, who had created their own legal defense fund, raised safety and legal concerns. They accused the applicant of running the facility like a hostel, underreporting the number of occupants living in the building, and lying about safety measures that had been put in place. The resident group submitted evidence alleging rampant drug use by tenants, police reports that had been filed against tenants over the year, and pictures of abandoned cars they believe were left by former tenants.

Ald. Joe Moreno (1) also spoke in opposition. He said while he is usually a proponent of these kinds of facilities, he can’t get behind the applicant because they didn’t proactively seek his support when they first opened their doors. “I didn’t meet these people until the City Law Department said they needed a special use permit,” Ald. Moreno said. “Then they went to court and that’s why we are here today. We are not saying anything about the mission, we are talking about the operation. They are not able to handle the clients and what they said they are doing.”

The Board voted a continuance on A Fresh Start for June 19 when they will hold their next meeting.

Arriving for a lunch date Friday afternoon in River North, Ben Winick looks rumpled. It’s a practiced look he’s become known for over the last ten years in Springfield that becomes both him and the policy positions he’s been steadily risen through. Most recently nominated as the director of the new City Council Office of Financial Analysis, Winick is expected to be formally appointed to the new position when the Office’s oversight committee meets for the first time some time in June.

His new job won’t be easy. Chicago is in a financial crisis, the City Council has a long history of rubberstamping mayoral budgets, and he’ll be expected to exhibit independence from the mayor while working for Budget Committee Chairman Carrie Austin, one of the mayor’s closest allies. But Winick has a positive attitude. “Chicago is a tremendous city. A very vibrant city with a vibrant diverse economy,” he says. “There are certainly challenges moving forward, but nothing that I would say is insurmountable, especially for a city as great as Chicago.”

Last Friday Aldertrack sat down for lunch with Winick to learn a bit more how he thinks he can bring financial independence to the Chicago City Council with five staffers and a $500,000 annual budget. He ordered bacon and scrambled eggs.

Originally from Galesburg, in Western Illinois, Ben Winick is the son of the late, highly regarded Knox County Democratic Chairman, Norm Winick, a man from whom many other county chairs took their lead. Ben got his start in Democratic politics, volunteering and working on local campaigns, then after finishing college at University of Wisconsin, he landed a policy job as a senior advisor to then Lt. Governor Pat Quinn in 2005. There, he was exposed to the machinery of state government and became a trusted advisor to Quinn.

Then, in January 2009, Winick moved with Quinn to take over the governor’s office after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached. Quickly, Winick experienced a trial by fire in the governor’s legislative affairs operation, which meant budget issues. “Unlike most governors, there wasn’t a transition,”says Winick. “Blagojevich was arrested and next thing you know he’s gone. So it was a small group of us trying to get our arms around things trying to understand what the heck was going on.”

That year, for the 2010 budget, the state legislature decided to take a pass on enacting a budget, instead putting together a lump sum and declaring Gov. Quinn responsible for figuring out how much should go to what agencies. Winick, as a member of Quinn’s legislative affairs team, suddenly became a budget expert, holding implementation meetings with all the state agencies.

“I became more entrenched in the legislative process but [also] more involved in budget issues with the Governor, says Winick, “Until the Governor appointed Jerry Stermer as Director of OMB and then Jerry called and said, ‘I would like you to come over and work at OMB.’”

From there Winick worked his way up the ladder, eventually becoming Chief of Staff of the Office of Management and Budget, and in late 2014, after Pat Quinn appointed Stermer as Comptroller to succeed the late Judy Barr Topinka, Winick become Director of OMB.

But then something interesting happened. After Republican Bruce Rauner assumed the Governor’s office in January this year, he asked Winick to stick around for a while, an unusual move, considering how partisan the position tends to be.

Amanda Vinicky, statehouse reporter for Illinois Public Radio, says that shouldn’t be a surprise. Winick is, she says, “respected for being smart and wonky. For all of the top people [former Gov. Pat Quinn] trusted, Ben was known as the budget guy who knew his stuff and knew the in and outs.” Because he was asked to stick around for a few months after Rauner took over, it says something about how important he was to the process, Vinicky says.

Then, in late March, Winick left OMB and the Rauner administration, landing as Vice President for Policy at Innovation Illinois, a non-partisan advocacy group led by staunch Quinn supporters. A newly created group, Winick is working out of temporary space in the startup incubator 1871, in Merchandise Mart.

The Committee on Financial Analysis (COFA), led by Budget Committee Chairman Carrie Austin (34), is not expected to meet until later in June. Winick thinks he won’t start work until July, giving him a scant three months to hire a staff and set up an office before the mayoral budget is likely to come out in September.

There’s also likely to be some intense discussions on COFA, which besides Austin, includes Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke (14), Ald. Rick Munoz (22), Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) and Machinists Local 126 Business Director Joseph Pijanowski. Carole Brown, a managing director at Barclays and former CTA Chairman, was originally slated for the committee but will not join since she was recently appointed Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer.

Besides an analysis of the mayoral budget, with some suggested options for Council to act on, Winick’s new office will have eight other priorities as part of the enacting legislation, including analysis of the city’s annual audit, analysis of ratings agency actions, and quarterly reports of financial impact statements from the city. Is it realistic that he can do all that in the first year?

“It will be a difficult task, but I think it can be done, says Winick slowly. “I think all of those things can get done in the first year.”

While the Office on Financial Analysis has a broad purview, it only has oversight over parts the City Council has direct budget authority. That means no oversight over the Public Schools, Transit Authority, Housing Authority or the Park District.

The enacting legislation for the new office also includes a key phrase, “All aldermanic briefings related to COFA reports shall be coordinated through the Chairman of the Committee on Budget,” effectively giving Chairman Austin total control over any work produced by Winick. An important part of how his office will operate.

What follows is a condensed and edited version of Friday’s interview.

Aldertrack: What happens to reports? Have you talked with Ald. Carrie Austin about it?

Winick: Not really. Not at this point. I would be working close with the Budget Committee and looking for the most appropriate way to go, depending on their vote.

Do you have a vision that your work would be available to the public?

It would be my expectation that I would be working collaboratively with Budget Committee Chairman Austin. Things will be made public as appropriate.

Usually the mayor introduces a budget, there’s two weeks of hearings and then whatever the Mayor wants gets passed. Do you see your position changing that?

I don’t want to say that I see this position changing that necessarily. I think a lot of it depends on what is in the Mayor’s proposal [and] through my analysis whether there are alternative decisions that can be presented to the City Council. Maybe when the Mayor presents his budget this fall, it may be something like where there aren’t really too many good alternative options out there. That’s something we’re just going to have to wait and see.

Will the City of Chicago have flexibility, based on the circumstances presented to them in Springfield?

The legislative session is still going on. I was there for Gov. Rauner’s speech [to the City Council] . We’ll see what happens this session.

How do you stay independent? Your boss is one of the Mayor’s closest allies and people on your board are closely tied to the mayor.

To me, my big focus on this is just to give an honest review of what is being presented by the Mayor and what the options are to the City Council. That is my main route to maintaining my independence. I have discussed this with the aldermen, I’m going to be a straight shooter, I have some things with the Mayor’s Office I might agree with, I might not. I don’t necessarily see this–it’s not my role to be nitpicky about what’s going on with the City’s budget. It’s my role to help the City Council [understand] what is actually in the plan and what are some of the options for them to consider. I think that is going to be my angle of maintaining independence. I’m here as a resource, “OK guys, the numbers don’t lie, it is what it is.”

What do you see your relationship with places like Civic Federation and the Committee on Tax and Budget Accountability?

When I was with the State, I had a good working relationship with the Civic Federation and CTBA. I definitely plan on reviewing their recommendations, both in terms of what they have suggested in the past as well as going forward. The city has challenges and I think in my role I need to be open to all ideas in terms of moving forward.

Do you have any ideas in terms of what costs and expenses you might focus on?

That’s something I can’t really discuss right now, in terms of not wanting to get ahead of the process.

Have you been briefed at all, seen any of the documents, or are you still outside the door?

I’m still outside the door. I’m not planning on starting until July, so right now I’m going through documents that are publically available.

Are there any revenue ideas or savings from across Illinois or other states that you have in mind that you might be able to bring with you? 

Again, that’s a thing that I’ll be able to talk about more once I get through the process and working with the members of City Council.

What’s the difference between what you will do and what the inspector general does?

A lot of the inspector general’s audit functions are focusing on things that have already happened. Whereas, I think it’s my job in working with the City Council to be a resource on, “these are the options before you today. And these are the actions you might consider moving forward, and not in the past.” More forward looking.

Do you think your new job is to tell Moody’s to go stick it?

I don’t think Moody’s cares what I have to say.

I think the review process for that would be to say, this is what Moody’s or Fitch or S&P or Kroll’s said, this is why they said it. These are potential actions to get them to reverse course.

Do you think Chicago’s getting a raw deal from Moody’s?

Without being more in depth in what’s going on with the city, I can’t comment on that.

Following yesterday's inaugural festivities, the Progressive Caucus sent out a release laying out their priorities:

• "ensuring that the City upholds its end of the pension promise to its workers"


• passing legislation for "earned sick time and paid maternity and parental leave" and $15 an hour minium wage


• "hiring at least 500 new police officers above the rate of attrition"


• "expand the capacity of the Inspector General"


• "fighting for an elected, representative school board, advocating for fair treatment and compensation for our teachers, and by calling for increased accountability for charter schools"

The Caucus is made up of 11 members: Ald. Leslie Hairston (5), Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6), Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), Ald. Toni Foulkes (16), Ald. David Moore (17), Ald. Ricardo Muñoz (22), Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa (35), Ald. Nick Sposato (38) and Ald. John Arena (45).

The new terms for Chicago’s elected officials commenced Monday at a packed Chicago Theater with a stage full of celebrating politicals, their families, and concluded with a speech from Mayor Rahm Emanuel that was long on aspirations and short on solutions.

As inaugurations tend to be, the event had plenty of symbolism. Bookended by a blessing from a West Side, predominately Latino church and a passionate rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” from the South Side-based Chicago Children’s Choir, Mayor Emanuel’s nineteen minute speech focused on Chicago’s duty to its youth and the need to recover a “lost generation” in some of Chicago’s most disadvantaged communities. The speech mentioned “youth” or “children” 36 times, but only mentioned “pension” once, with no word of the city’s budget woes.

The speech sidestepped specific policy goals and the fiscal problems looming over city government. As many other news outlets have pointed out, because of our money problems, it seems that the big pieces of Chicago’s future will be decided over a table in Springfield, not City Hall. Emanuel chose to not only ignore that fact–recently brought home by Gov. Bruce Rauner in a speech to City Council–but talk about something else entirely.

The audience, chock full of mayoral supporters and aldermanic friends and family, cheered on the Mayor’s speech, roaring with approval at its completion–with a vitality only matched by the greeting given to former Mayor Richard M. Daley and former President Bill Clinton when they took the stage at the beginning of the ceremonies.

In contrast to the 2011 inauguration ceremonies, which was held outdoors at the Pritzker Pavilion and open to the general public, getting into this year’s event required tickets and for attendees to squeeze through a phalanx of Chicago police. A highly controlled event, there were still a few unplanned moments, such as the reappearance of the guy who had yelled, “Nice!” at Emanuel’s Election Night party; he somehow figured out how to reprise his line at the top of his lungs about eight times during the ceremonies.

But even before the Mayor took over the mic to discuss Chicago’s most vulnerable–he was the penultimate speaker–several speakers referenced the same theme.

The inauguration included the showstopping poem from Harold Green III, “Something to Live For”, which illustrates the struggles many living in poverty face, and the blessing administered by Fellowship Flock Church Pastor Lynette Santiago, who gave a modern take on the Christian Beatitudes, which asks those to bless those less fortunate.

Speaking after the festivities, several aldermen praised the Mayor for addressing what they believe to be an issue that doesn't get a lot of attention at City Hall. And when asked if the Mayor should have spent more time on addressing the city's financial issues, many aldermen agree that just because it wasn't discussed, it doesn't mean everyone isn’t thinking about it.

Ald. George Cardenas (12) called the inaugural speech “very motivational” and praised the Mayor for “sending a strong message of optimism.” When asked about the Mayor’s decision to sidestep the issue of the city’s finances, Ald. Cardenas said it was “more important” for the City Council to, “talk about the little things that mean a lot”, adding, “I think the financial piece we’ll figure it out. I think eventually we’ll come to terms that there are some things that we need to put on the table and make some concessions to get our house in order.”

Aldermen Willie Cochran (20), Walter Burnett (27), and Joe Moore (49) agree.

“His speech was directed straight at the areas where we have the biggest challenges in our community: focusing on family, resources, support, and overcoming challenges,” Ald. Cochran said, adding the state of the city and state’s finances aren’t,  “something we are unfamiliar with.”

“I thought it was timely, fitting,” Ald. Burnett, one of the Mayor’s biggest supporters in the Council, said of the Mayor’s focus on youth. “Of course we did not talk much about the financial challenges we have ahead of us. I thought something would be spoken about that.” Burnett added, “I think that making sure our kids are safe and get a good education is all part of our financial challenges,” Burnett said both issues go, “hand-in-hand.” Burnett also suggested the theme was a decision likely made following the reaction Emanuel received on the campaign trail. “I think that really gave him a really great opportunity to get more engaged in the communities and feel the pulse [...] and I think the best of us have to help the rest of us.”

Ald. Moore was equally surprised, but not without praise for Emanuel. “I think everyone was expecting to have, yet another address on the city’s fiscal crisis,” Ald. Moore said. “We’re all very aware that we have some very tough decisions to make, but far too often ignored in the political discourse is the crisis facing our young people.” Ald. Moore’s Ward, which includes Rogers Park, is plagued with much of the youth violence and poverty the Mayor addressed in the speech.

Even Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6), a member of the Progressive Caucus, commended Emanuel for giving a  “hopeful” speech and liked the Mayor’s promise of  increased cooperation with the City Council, something Ald. Sawyer says was missing during Emanuel’s first term. “I am happy to talk to [Mayor Emanuel] at any time,” Sawyer said. “You know, I’ve already talked to him more this term than I had the whole first term. The cooperation has been really great, so I am really encouraged by that.”

New Alderman Milly Santiago (31), who ran as a “progressive” and aligned her runoff campaign with Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, also defended the Mayor for not addressing the financial issues facing the city, saying there is a time and place for such a discussion and an inauguration isn’t one of them. When asked if she was surprised by the speech, Santiago responded, “Remember, this is a day of celebration, and I think people expected some sort of a soft statement, a soft speech to welcome all the new members of [the] City Council.” She says she and the other new members had a recent discussion with the Mayor on the “tough issues [they’ll] be facing”. She plans to  “compromise and work” with the Mayor “in any way possible, if the changes and and his promises are real”.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11) replied in similar fashion. “I think that we all know that is the issue and we are going to be addressing that. I think today what the Mayor was doing was reaching out to all of Chicago to get engaged and help solve this problem.” Thompson added, “Obviously, financially, we want to leave this place better to the next generation than we had it, and our parents did a good job [..] We want to make sure that we engage the youth because they are the new leaders of tomorrow. So, I think, it’s important to have them involved.” Ald. Thompson said that when the time does come to discuss the city’s finances, “everything will be on the table” when the city looks for new sources of revenue.

Unlike his peers, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) was not as thrilled about or encouraged by the Mayor’s pivot to disenfranchised youth. “He didn’t mention the words pension, finances, or the crisis that we have in those areas,” Ald. Waguespack said, calling it a “lost opportunity” to detail a plan and suggested the Mayor’s silence indicated there isn’t a plan. “You can’t address the death and destruction and the poverty and the  education woes that we have without fixing the finances at the same time,” Ald. Waguespack said a lot of communities and local organizations are already working on the issues related to the Mayor’s speech and it will be the job of the Progressive Caucus to keep Mayor Emanuel accountable and focused on addressing the city’s pension debt, which Ald. Waguespack called a funding issue. “The whole city is counting on us to do that. I don’t think anyone else will.  We have to step up and we’re going to have to provide solutions.”

Today Aldermen, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Treasurer Kurt Summers and Clerk Susana Mendoza will be sworn in for a new four year term at 10:30 a.m. at the Chicago Theater. The event is invitation only. Aldertrack will be tweeting photos from the event along with our usual witty observations.

If you've missed it, we've been running profiles of all the incoming new aldermen. We also interviewed a few during the election cycle. Here's links to the video interviews, campaign debates and the profiles we've done so far.

2nd Ward – Brian Hopkins - Video Interview - Profile
10th Ward – Susan Sadlowski Garza - Debate
15th Ward – Raymond Lopez - Video Interview - Debate - Profile
17th Ward – David Moore - Profile
18th Ward – Derrick Curtis - Video Interview
24th Ward – Michael Scott, Jr. - Video Interview - Debate - Profile
26th Ward – Robert Maldonado - Video Interview
29th Ward – Chris Taliaferro - Debate - Profile
31st Ward – Milly Santiago - Video Interview - Profile
35th Ward – Carlos Rosa - Video Interview - Profile
41st Ward – Anthony Napolitano - Profile

Following yesterday's returns, the clearest change in City Council will be the growth of the Progressive Caucus. Formerly seven members, the new caucus could double to as many as fourteen members when Council is sworn in on May 18. As of today there are ten declared members with settled elections, three declared members still in undecided elections and one other, the 41st Ward's Alderman-Elect Anthony Napolitano, has "been considering" joining the Progressive Caucus, according to campaign staff. Aldermen With Declared Intention To Join Progressive Caucus 5 - Leslie Hairston 6 - Roderick Sawyer 17 - David Moore (elect) 22 - Ricardo Muñoz 29 - Chris Taliaferro (elect) 32 - Scott Waguespack 35 - Carlos Rosa (elect) 36 - Gilbert Villegas (elect) 38 - Nicolas Sposato 45 - John Arena Campaigns Still Unsettled, With Potential Progressive Caucus Members 10 - Susan Sadlowski Garza 16 - Toni Foulkes 31 - Milagros "Milly" Santiago

New Members of City Council

2nd Ward - Brian Hopkins 7th Ward - Greg Mitchell 11th Ward - Patrick Daley Thompson 15th Ward - Raymond Lopez 17th Ward - David Moore 18th Ward - Derrick Curtis 24th Ward - Michael Scott, Jr. 29th Ward - Chris Taliaferro 35th Ward - Carlos Rosa 36th Ward - Gilbert Villegas 41st Ward - Anthony Napolitano Five Remaining Aldermanic Races To Be Determined by Claudia Morell - [email protected] This afternoon at a McKinley Park warehouse used by the Chicago Board of Elections, dozens of campaign staff and media watched Board officials count a few remaining precincts in the 10th, 16th, 21st, 31st, and 43rd Wards that were unable to be transmitted to Board headquarters on election night as well as a pair of recounts for precincts in the 21st and 31st Wards.

Last weekend Chicago lost one of its most vibrant citizens, North Side campaign worker, former Ald. Eugene Schulter staffer and North Center Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Garrett FitzGerald, who passed after a two year struggle with brain cancer. A man who defined the term bon vivant, Garrett was not the creator, but he lifted his chamber's annual Rib Fest into one of the city's best neighborhood festivals with genuinely great music acts, a disgustingly fun rib eating contest and more. Garrett also took his Chamber duties seriously by supporting many local businesses, including one of my earlier publications, Center Square Journal, extending himself more than many other local chamber directors.

Because it was fun, Garrett had bought an old electric golf cart, affixed it with a big North Center Chamber "N", and then would drive up and down Lincoln Avenue with a big grin on his face, especially during Rib Fest. I'll always remember him that way.

He is survived by his wife Alicia and daughter Bridget. Visitation is at Grein Funeral Directors, 2114 W. Irving Park Rd, Friday, May 15 from 3:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m. and a funeral mass at St. Benedict's Church, 2215 W. Irving Park Rd, Saturday, May 16 at 11:00 a.m. Rather than sending flowers, the family asks you consider giving to Voices Against Brain Cancer or Neumann Family Services.

Yesterday's City Council meeting included a memorial for the late Cardinal, remarks from the new Archbishop, passage of long-awaited restitution to Jon Burge torture victims, a gallery full of Chicago labor leaders and much more. But everything was overshadowed by Gov. Bruce Rauner's speech to Council, a last-minute addition to the agenda announced yesterday afternoon. Rainier's appearance before Council, unprecedented in recent memory, served to notify Council that no easy bailouts will be coming from Springfield, and that labor unions are his number one target.

Latino Caucus Presser For CPS Intervention With UNO Schools

Before Council kicked off, members of the Latino Caucus, backed by about 50 UNO charter school parents and activists, announced the introduction of a Council resolution, calling for the Chicago Board of Education, “to step in and settle this squabble,” according to former UNO President, Ald. Danny Solis. Text of resolution.

The presser, which Caucus chair George Cardenas kicked off by warning "Chicago’s children’s future is at stake,” ultimately amounted to aldermen stating the importance of UNO schools in their overcrowded communities and their desire for the original United Neighborhood Organization and the UNO Charter School Network organizations to settle their differences. Their only option, to offer up a resolution, served to underline City Council’s lack of oversight and input on Chicago school’s operations. Since the 1995 School Reform, the Mayor has total control over Board of Education appointments and budgeting and Council is merely left to watch.

Attendees: Caucus Chair George Cardenas (12), Joe Moreno (1), Ald.-Elect Ray Lopez (15), Danny Solis (25), Ray Suarez (31).


Remembrance of Cardinal Francis George

The Council meeting began with a prayer and moment of silence in honor of Cardinal Francis George, who passed April 17th. A short prayer from Roman Catholic Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich was followed by a moment of silence, with live music from a pianist and violinist.

Ald. Ed Burke (14) spoke at length honoring Francis George as a “true Chicagoan,” who “did not fear Chicago politics.”

Ald. Bob Fioretti (2) says he worked with Francis George on 2nd ward issues, and praised him as a man of strong faith, quoting Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life, one is though none is a miracle, the other as though everything is a miracle. Cardinal Francis George lived his life as though everything was a miracle.”

Ald. Cullerton, Ald. Suarez, and Mayor Emanuel also spoke in praise of Cardinal Francis George’s life.

 

Reports from the Committees

The full City Council passed all reports from the standing committees. When retiring Ald. James Balcer (11), Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, finished submitting his report to the record he waved and shouted, “That concludes my report, and goodbye!”

Highlights of passed ordinances:

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  Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed ordinance to create a $5.5M fund for Jon Burge torture victims and a resolution providing an official, citywide apology.

  
  


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  Two last-minute police-related settlements totaling $765,000 from Finance Committee.

  
  


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  Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to launch and maintain a so-called “People’s Plaza Program” through a joint public-private venture.

  
  


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  An ordinance co-sponsored by Mayor Emanuel and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) empowering the Police Superintendent to close bars and nightclubs that are chronic public safety threats, spurred on by the Dolphin Club murders.

  
  


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  Mayor Emanuel’s ordinance to amend the city’s red-light camera program. CDOT would have to hold community meetings before it installs or removes any future cameras and a payment program was created for violators.

  
  


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  A concession agreement that would extend Goose Island's agreement for three years to cater all concerts and special events at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park.

  
  


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  Ald. Marty Quinn’s (13) proposed ordinance to crack down on the unauthorized sale of stolen catalytic converters.

  
  


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  An ordinance that would extend a dental program currently offered at all Chicago Public School students to private or parochial schools that operate in the city. Medicaid pays for the program.

  
  


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  An ordinance expanding language access to city services. Ald. Ameya Pawar(47) introduced an ordinance standardizing city translation services for people whose first language isn’t English, with a single paragraph appointing a working group to develop a new municipal ID for Chicago residents.

  
  


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  Three appointees to the Chicago Emergency Telephone System Board.

  
  

The reports of the committees concluded with a report from Ald. Pat O’Connor (40), the Chairman of the Committee on Workforce and Development, regarding a resolution Mayor Emanuel introduced earlier this week in opposition to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to designate “right-to-work” zones around the state. At the start of O’Connor’s speech, Mayor Emanuel could be heard from the podium, saying of the Governor, “Where is he? Where is he?”

O’Connor called jobs in right to work states are “half jobs,” and that Rauner’s plan would actually create a right for employers to hire low wage, low-benefit jobs that were stolen away from those who secured them through collective bargaining. Organized labor seated in the gallery balcony broke into wild applause. Creating half jobs is, “a great thing to do if you’re shopping in a supermarket, but when you’re playing with people’s lives… that’s a damn shame,” he said.

Following Ald. O’Connor’s speech, one by one, aldermen stood up and seconded the sentiment. Ald. Pat Dowell (3) called on organized labor to consider fairness for minorities in creating new labor opportunities. Aldermen Bob Fioretti (2), John Pope (10), James Cappleman (46), Danny Solis (25), Timothy Cullerton (38), and Joe Moore (49) also played to the gathered union crowd, many referring to childhoods in union homes.

Ald. Cullerton called the right to work zones “a leap backwards to the dark ages,” and said skilled labor helped build the city from the ground up. Ald. Moore said Chicago joins mayors and city councils across the nation in passing a similar resolution, but says Springfield and Chicago need each other and encouraged both parties to work together.

Finally, Mayor Emanuel chimed, saying he’s opposed right to work his entire life. “This city of Chicago just hosted the NFL Draft, the James Beard Awards, Microsoft Ignite, and the cable industry… today Chicago’s number one in the hospitality industry.” He says the city and union workers made tough compromises at McCormick Place without lowering wages.

Instead of moving on to scheduled business, Ald. Burke volunteered as the designated time-killer ahead of the governor’s appearance, comparing the governor’s unprecedented visit to City Council to the story of the Prince of Wales’ visit to Chicago in 1860, and Mayor “Long John” Wentworth’s famous introduction: “Boys, this is the Prince. Prince, this is the boys.” After a few minutes he explained, “You understand we’re just killing time here.” The Council burst into gales of laughter.

Rauner's Speech To Council

Gov. Rauner entered the chamber shortly after, to light applause. Some of the assembled organized labor members in the balcony booed. He asked for an “indulgence” before he started his speech and requested Republicans in the room raise their hands. Ald. Waguespack suggested to members around him that Rauner probably didn’t know Council was non-partisan. About four people in the gallery raised their hands.

Rauner made reference to his outsider status several times throughout the speech, saying he was like Daniel in the lion’s den, and that having won just 20% of the vote in Chicago, it might be a good move for the city to secede. Peppered with references to how much the rest of Illinois citizens dislike Chicago and how he works for everyone in Illinois, including Chicagoans, Rauner's 10 minute speech laid out Chicago’s importance to the state, its dire financial straits, and the need for partnership with Springfield.

His main message: “For Chicago to get what it wants, Illinois must get what it needs.” Then, after more talk about how the rest of Illinois was Chicago to secede, Rauner laid down his terms, "We don't have the money to bail out Chicago. That's not an option." He suggested few olive branches, except that Chicago might want to have more local powers over issues like gaming.

The Governor provided few specifics about how he would implement his Turnaround Agenda, but emphasized the difficulties of Illinois and Chicago's economies. “Over the last 15 years, Illinois has lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. We can’t afford to let that continue. We must get more competitive. After years of overspending and overborrowing, Illinois and Chicago taxpayers are in a vice grip that is choking our ability to fund our schools, invest in our social services and recruit job creators.”

He closed the speech by asking Chicago to help with the heavy lifting to, “accomplish so much more than we can alone.” After Rauner’s left the Chamber, Ald. Joe Moreno (1) stood up and gestured to the aldermen seated near him, Rebroyas and Ervin, then said off-mic in an exasperated voice, “Work together! Sacrifice!”

 

Post-Rauner Speech Press Conferences

Gov. Rauner and organized labor held press conferences in sequence immediately after Rauner’s remarks as Council continued its business. Not surprisingly, the messages and tenor of the events were diametrically opposite.

Rauner’s availability, in a packed Room 201A filled with the Chicago and Springfield press corps, lasted slightly longer than his speech to Council. In it, he reiterated that he will not increase spending to bail out Chicago, and that much of his agenda is linked to reducing union influence at every level.

On his priorities:  “Well in terms of what Illinois needs, I have been clear for two and a half years. We need local control, voter empowerment, pro-growth regulations and an overhaul of the government, empowering local voters and taxpayers to get more control of government costs, and that’s laid out crystal clear within our turnaround agenda. That’s what we need, and I’ve said that consistently.”

To emphasize his statement, his office sent out a press release that evening, quoting the above and stating, “To be clear, the governor’s top priorities are listed below:

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  Term limits

  
  


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  Property tax freeze

  
  


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  Allow local control of ability to create employee empowerment zones

  
  


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  Allow local control of contracting and bargaining in schools and local governments

  
  


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  Allow local control of competitive bidding on taxpayer-funded construction projects

  
  


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  Pension reform

  
  


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  Worker’s compensation/tort/unemployment insurance reform

  
  


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  Ethics reform/end conflicts of interest in government”

  
  

Then, directly refuting a regular stump speech item from Mayor Emanuel’s reelection campaign, about how it is unfair that Chicagoans pay into teacher’s pensions for all of Illinois, in addition to Chicago pensions:

“There are some additional facts that need to be part of the conversation. There’s this statement, well Chicago’s different, it pays taxes to go into it’s own pension as well as pensions to go into other community’s teachers’ pensions. That’s true. It’s been true for a hundred years, I think….The City of Chicago, even adjusting for income level of students...Chicago receives a disproportionate amount of money, many hundreds of millions of dollars that no other community gets. That is true. we need to keep that in mind when we’re talking about how Chicago may be different when we’re talking about pension payments.”

Finally, on Chicago Public Schools' financial straits:

“Part of our recommendation, on our turnaround agenda on our schools, [they] belong to our families, not to the special interests, whether its the collective bargaining units or any influential group inside the schools or inside the government. Those groups should not dictate terms or decide what is done or not done. The schools don’t belong to them, they belong to the taxpayers. We don’t have a balance of power in Chicago or Illinois.The schools belong to the families and parents, not to the insiders. Right now the power is with the insiders. We’re recommending Chicago get to decide what should be collectively bargained and what shouldn’t. That’s a very big change and a very important one to decide what’s affordable over time.”

A counter-press conference, held by the Chicago Federation of Labor and other labor organizations in the 2nd Floor hallway, was low on substance, but included well over a hundred chanting, shouting workers with “Save the Middle Class” signs. Kicked off by CFL President Jorge Ramirez, he set the tone, “Attacking the most vulnerable in our society does not make you a better governor….Illinois won’t get better by attacking our most vulnerable citizens.”

Ramirez’ remarks, and then those from supporting speakers from labor-friendly organizations for the next ten minutes, were punctuated by loud cheers, leading up to a chant, “Turn back Rauner!”

 

Farewells to Exiting Aldermen

Following Rauner’s departure from the Chamber, and a few minutes of milling around, Ald. Ed Burke began this portion of the meeting by reading off the names of the retiring and outest aldermen of the City Council. He then turned to Ald. John Pope (10) and ask, “Do we know?” Pope shrugged it off and the farewells continued, with Clerk Susana Mendoza reading and entering into record resolutions highlighting the work many of those aldermen did during their time on the City Council. Reading the resolutions in order by ward, Mendoza also skipped over Ald. Pope.

At one point, Ald. Carrie Austin (34) asked to speak, “I have laughed, cried, hollered, screamed and used some choice words with all of them.”

Many of the retiring aldermen spoke at length as they reminisced about their time on the council, while others, had little to say. Ald. Ray Suarez (31) left the meeting early and was absent for this part of the meeting. Ald. Lona Lane (18), who is currently sick with a respiratory condition, missed the entire meeting. Ald. Deborah Graham(29), acknowledged her colleagues before walking out of the chamber. Ald. Bob Fioretti (2) choking up during his farewell, noted that the past eight years have been some of the best in his life, adding that he is especially grateful for his staff and their help while he was battling cancer.

Ald. Tim Cullerton (38), whose family has been on the council since the Chicago Fire, and Ald. Mary O’Connor (41), who only served one term, drew the biggest rounds of applause from fellow aldermen.

In his final remarks to the members who were leaving, Ald. Burke channeled the, “original mayor Daley,” who, Burke said he was fond of saying, “The good Lord never closes a door that he doesn’t open a window. And I’ve served with 253 people in this chamber over the last 46 years, and I’ve come to learn the wisdom of that observation [...] And I know that will be the case in each and every one of your instances.”

Ald. Burke then took a moment to personally praise Ald. Balcer. “There isn’t a more sincere person that I have served with in all those years.” Burke then recalled the first time he saw Balcer. It was back when Balcer was a private citizen testifying to the Council about the struggles he faces as a veteran in need of health support. Burke called it, “one of the most compelling pieces of testimony he ever heard in this chamber.”

Later in his remarks, before he adjourned the meeting, Ald. Burke looked around the room at his colleagues, laughed, and said, “Finally, Fioretti said something profound.”

 

New Business Highlights

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  Ald. Will Burns (4) introduced a resolution that would bar Spike Lee from using state tax credits to film his new project, Chiraq. Since the state manages the credit, the resolution would have little impact in preventing Lee from getting the $3 million credit.

  
  


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  Ald. Ed Burke (14), Ald. Danny Solis (25), Ald. Tom Tunney (44), and Ald. Margaret Laurino (39) introduced a resolution to hold hearings on the city’s fiber-optic infrastructure.

  
  


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  Ald. Joe Moreno’s (1) resolution regarding UNO Charter schools (story above)
  

  
  

Mayor’s Presser

In his typical post-Council meeting press conference, Mayor Emanuel stuck to his guns on Springfield’s need for Chicago, but says he saw some places where he and Gov. Rauner could work together, like workers compensation. “A strong Illinois is dependent on a strong Chicago.”

But the two split on teacher’s pensions, a familiar refrain from Emanuel, who raised his voice when talking about so-called “double taxation. “As a Chicago resident, [Gov. Rauner] pays twice. One by paying property taxes, he pays for the teachers pensions in Chicago. Second, when he pays income taxes he pays for teacher’s pensions in Naperville, Schaumburg, Rockford… if you’re going to make fundamental change, here’s a great place to start.”

He says one of the fixes for the teacher’s pensions crisis is a single educational pension system or getting rid of the “inequity on taxes.” He says he hopes to work together with the governor to increase education funding, a campaign promise Rauner made.

After a hard fought race for an open seat in the the 15th Ward, Alderman-elect 15th Ward Democratic Committeeman Raymond Lopez is taking little for granted and working to carve his own path. For instance, although Lopez is openly gay and married to his campaign manager, Hugo Orojel, he’s not necessarily a natural to join the Progressive Caucus after avowed progressive Rafel Yañez worked so hard to defeat him for alderman.

To get sense of the priorities of new City Council members, Aldertrack is interviewing each one. Ald.-elect Lopez is our first.

This was Lopez second try for the 15th Ward on the Southwest side of Chicago. The ward’s current alderman, Toni Foulkes, beat Lopez in a runoff in 2011, but then moved next door this cycle to win the neighboring 16th Ward seat, while endorsing Lopez’s opponent in 2015. Lopez, in turn, got support from several incumbent aldermen, including Ald. Tom Tunney (44), Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) and neighboring Ald. Ed Burke (14).

Top legislative priorities citywide: Lopez says dealing with the budget and public pensions will be, “the biggest priority, obstacle and area for progress,” for the new Council. “Anything that we propose in terms of social services and housing is definitely going to be impacted on the city’s ability to pay for it,” Lopez said.

Top local issues in the 15th Ward: Lopez told Aldertrack a lot of his time will be focused on housing issues. “We have a lot of vacant land and housing foreclosures that we need to work on throughout the entire ward.” Lopez said that he already has a team canvassing the ward and logging all of the vacant properties to see what is salvageable and could potentially be refurbished into affordable housing, among other uses.

Lopez said he has already started working with the Chicago Department of Transportation to address the numerous potholes in the ward and working on addressing city service requests that are “languishing” in the 311 system. Throughout the campaign Lopez highlighted the fact that as Committeeman he has provided city services to residents and is familiar with the various city department heads. Now that he is officially the alderman, he hopes to have an easier time providing those services.

Potential Caucus Alignment: “Let’s see what these various caucuses have to offer in terms of their relationship with the 15th Ward. Obviously the 15th Ward has very unique dynamics at play [...] and if there is a caucus that has the interests of my residents in mind, I will definitely consider it,” but Lopez said his major focus will be on his constituents. Lopez did however say that he would be open to possibly joining the Latino Caucus and any future LGBT Caucus–with the addition of Lopez and Ald.-elect Carlos Ramirez-Rosa in the 35th Ward, there will now be 5 openly gay members on the City Council. Lopez said he would even be open to joining the Black Caucus, “if the offer was extended,” since he won a majority of the Black vote in his ward.

Ward Office/Logistics: Lopez plans to have two offices, like he did during the campaign. One will be in West Englewood. The other will be between Back of the Yards and Brighton Park. He has also picked his chief of staff, an African American woman, but would not release further details by publication.

The clearest political winner of this past election season was the City Council’s Progressive Caucus. Every member running for reelection won their seats for another term, and when the new Council convenes on May 18, there could be as many as fourteen members of the Caucus, depending how negotiations go with new members and the results of a still unsettled 10th Ward race.

[Ed Note: The final counts for that race will be conducted today.]

With the Caucus’ ascending influence, Joanna Klonsky, the Caucus’ Communications Director, is also finding herself busier and more prominent. Besides fielding regular calls from Chicago’s political press looking for an alternative to the Mayor’s view, as the Caucus’ sole staffer, Klonsky is working hard to organize a policy framework for a group many accuse of being merely the “Anti-Rahm” Caucus.

Originally from Galewood and Oak Park, Klonsky matriculated through the hyper-liberal Bard College, worked briefly as a reporter in New York City before coming back to Chicago to work for Marilyn Katz and receive a “crash course in PR and public affairs.” From there Klonsky went to work on political campaigns, eventually becoming communications director for Miguel del Valle’s 2011 unsuccessful mayoral campaign.

The del Valle campaign wrapped Klonsky in with Ald. Rick Munoz (22) who invited her in early 2011 to help put together a structure for a more permanent Progressive Caucus. “There was always some group of aldermen that called themselves a Progressive Caucus,” says Klonsky. “But they really wanted to get organized in a new political environment in a new administration, to have a structure, a single voice and to meet together.”

Klonsky then helped a group of eight Aldermen, Munoz, Bob Fioretti (2), Leslie Hairston (5), Roderick Sawyer (6), Toni Foulkes (15), Scott Waguespack (32), Nick Sposato (36) and John Arena (45) write the bylaws, form a PAC and to create, “a statement of principles that serve as our north star for how we operate.”

The Caucus members then spent much of the next four years being shunned by the Emanuel administration and opposing  many of the Mayor’s proposals. Progressive Caucus members vocally supported the 2012 Chicago teacher’s strike, opposed closure of the mayor’s schools, were usually the sole votes against the Mayor’s budgets and were vocal opponents of speed and red light cameras.

The Caucus’ unspoken mission, to create a loyal opposition to the Mayor’s policies, was sometimes Quixotic against a Mayor who could summon unlimited sums to defeat opponents in the next campaign cycle. And that seemed to come true when the Emanuel-allied Chicago Forward PAC was announced in late 2014 with millions of dollars to spend on, “supporting candidates who demonstrate a shared commitment.” Then, after Aldermen Fioretti, Foulkes, and Sposato, being mapped out of their own wards, the die seemed cast: the Progressive Caucus would be pared down and made irrelevant in 2015.

And indeed, soon after Aldermen Fioretti, Foulkes, and Sposato were mapped out of their Wards, the Emanuel-allied Chicago Forward PAC was announced in late 2014 with millions of dollars to spend on “supporting candidates who demonstrate a shared commitment”. The die seemed cast: the Progressive Caucus would be pared down and made irrelevant in 2015.

But voters returned seven Progressive Caucus members to Council (except Fioretti), three newly elected members (David Moore-17, Chris Taliaferro-29, Carlos Rosa-35) have announced plans to join the Caucus, one undecided candidate has announced plans (Susan Sadlowski Garza-10) and three other newly elected members (Milly Santiago-31, Gilbert Villegas-36, Anthony Napolitano-41) are openly mulling over plans to join. Rather than be put out of business, the Caucus could actually double in size.

As the Progressive Caucus’ influence grows, so does Klonsky’s, as the person tasked with building a cohesive organization and maybe even whipping votes outside the Caucus on big issues. “There’s a lot of opportunity for people to break out the silos and boxes they’ve been put in during term one of this past administration,” she says.

To get a better handle on Klonsky’s and the Progressive Caucus’ goals, Aldertrack met with her in a coffee shop in River North. What follows is a condensed version of our interview.

Aldertrack: What exactly does the Progressive Caucus stand for?

Klonsky: The Progressive Reform Caucus of the Chicago City Council is dedicated to creating a more just and equal Chicago, combating all forms of discrimination, and advancing public policies that offer genuine opportunity to all Chicagoans, especially those who have been left out of our society’s prosperity.

So, it’s about equality and justice. It’s about passing policies that support working families and the needs of working families. And it’s about good government. We’ve pushed a lot of legislation that’s been about strengthening the watchdog mechanisms of government.

Everyone should be a member of the Progressive Caucus based on that. I don’t think any member of City Council would oppose those things. So why are some people in the Paul Douglas Alliance, and some not in anything?

In the first term of the Progressive Caucus, this group served as a pole, everyone knows this. We were pushing stuff in a certain direction, trying to ask harder questions, trying to create an environment where there was some pushback to the policies that were harmful to neighborhoods, harmful to working families. The Progressive Caucus members stood up against the school closings and were very vocal, about their concerns about what the impacts on the neighborhoods would be, that stood up strongly with the teachers when they went out on strike for their new contract.

They have been very consistently outspoken, raising concerns about the abundance of fees, fines and penalties that put an unfair burden on working Chicagoans. So they’ve been that voice over and over again for folks who don’t always have a voice in city council. And then there’s stuff that Progressive Caucus champions, like the Minimum Wage Ordinance.

If the Progressive Caucus hadn’t introduced the $15 Minimum Wage Ordinance and created the pressure for it, I don’t believe we would have seen that $13 ordinance passed last year.

Is it accurate to say you’re the left wing of the Democratic Party in City Council?

Sure. These are not ultra-left wing policies. These are pretty mainstream, right? I don’t think it’s left wing to say you support raising the minimum wage, that’s the mainstream Democratic Party position. I don’t think it’s left wing to say you oppose closing 50 neighborhood schools. There’s nothing wrong with being left wing, it’s just these should be positions people of all ideological persuasions could get on board with.

But everybody wants to build more schools. When have a choice between building more schools and cutting taxes, then that’s where the rubber hits the road.

I think that’s right. It’s where the rubber hits the road. What I’m interested in in this new term is finding out how we can get more folks on board with taking votes on things that are consistently in the best interest of their constituents. That’s really what this comes down to. It’s not an ideological question. It comes down to, “Are you voting in a manner that’s consistent with what your constituents need and want.” And I think that’s what the Progressive Caucus has been pushing.

Let’s say you end up with 14 members on the Progressive Caucus, almost 30% of the City Council. What’s different? What should we begin to see?

I think you’ll see a lot more room for collaboration. I think there will be room for the Progressive Caucus to work with other groups and caucuses, to put forth legislation.

Will we see a Progressive Caucus ordinance? Will we see a Mayor’s version and a Progressive Caucus version?

Yes, I think sometimes that happens, like with the minimum wage. There was a Progressive Caucus ordinance for $15 and there was the one that ended up passing that was influenced by the Progressive Caucus version. I think that could happen, but there are also instances where it could all be one bill, where we sit down and hash it out and figure out what’s best for most Chicagoans and work to build a big majority.

I don’t see any reason that can’t happen now, in this environment. There’s always going to be stuff that the Progressive Caucus is doing. This is a new day, and we can work together.

Because you’re larger, should we expect some of the Paul Douglas Alliance to go your direction? Should we see people joining you, now that you’re a cohesive body?

I think there’s a lot of opportunity for aldermen to stand with the Caucus. Some of the stuff, like we said, it’s not complicated. It’s no-brainer stuff that everyone should be able to get on board with. There are times when various people have worked with the Progressive Caucus and raised red flags, stood in press conferences together and even introduced legislation together. I think you’ll see more of that in this environment.

Should we expect the Paul Douglas Alliance makeup change now that you’ve demonstrated some teeth at the ballot box?

It’s hard for me to speak for what the Paul Douglas thing does. Can the Progressive Caucus work with them? Yes.

Do you have an agenda for the next year?

That stuff is being hashed out right now. We’re in conversation. This group is getting to know each other.

Have you met yet?

We’ve had a few meetings. We’re going to have a few more in the next couple of weeks. I think we’ll lay out an agenda that folks can look forward to seeing.

A written document that you’ll distribute.

Yeah. I think you can expect to see that.

When should we expect to see that that? Before May 18?

I don’t know. Early in the new term you’ll see at least a framework on what the Caucus will be pushing.

How is it that you guys are different on schools and education from the Mayor?

The number one arena where there’s a very clear difference is on an elected school board. The progressive caucus stood up for an elected school board, tried to get it on the ballot, I think three different times, each time it was foiled. And then got it on with a massive petition drive and the item won by a big margin citywide. It’s quite clear where Chicagoans stand on the school board.

But that has to be passed by the state legislature, right?

Correct. So there have been numerous resolutions put forth by the Caucus expressing support signaling to Springfield this is how we stand. Chicagoans want an elected school board. Let’s get it done. I think the Progressive Caucus is hopeful it will be reintroduced in Springfield and pushed through the legislature. If that opportunity comes up, I would venture to say you’d seen progressive caucus members head down to Springfield to talk to their legislators.

This is of critical importance. What you’re seeing with the scandal at CPS right now is even more evidence of that.

CPS right now is in serious financial dire straits. Is this something that needs to be done before CPS straightens out its finances?

I think we needed an elected school board yesterday. This is an emergency. The current system does not work. 90% of Chicagoans know it. This is a mainstream, popular position. That’s ground zero. Subject number one.

Are you going to make a move for any committee chairmanships?

I don’t know the answer to that. But certainly I would say: Alderman Munoz has been in office for 22 years and Alderman Hairston has been in office for 16, who I think would be fabulous committee chairs. Definitely something to consider.

The announcement last week of the federal investigation into Chicago Public Schools and its CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s leave of absence has alarmed many aldermen, who only two weeks ago were fielding reelection campaign questions from constituents concerned about the state of CPS.

Complicating matters for aldermen is that many voters believe City Council has some oversight authority over CPS. However, since 1995 aldermen have had no legal authority over CPS, despite the fact that its $5.76 billion budget is more than half the size of the city’s budget and half of every constituents’ property tax bill.

Aldertrack spoke to a broad array of aldermen this weekend to get a sense of the Council on the public school’s growing financial and leadership problems. While some aldermen are content for the schools to be entirely the Mayor’s problem, most expect the issue of an elected school board to become more prominent–not less–as the CPS crisis continues.

Aldermen know they will have to live with the results of whatever schools solution is found, but for now they are giving newly appointed CPS Acting CEO Jesse Ruiz an opportunity to get to work.

In our conversations with aldermen, Ruiz was universally spoken of well. A “gentleman” with “integrity,” “Jesse Ruiz is exceptional and has only the highest standards,” we were told. Many alderman have worked with him as a CPS Board member and those with Springfield experience had good things to say about interacting with him downstate.

While the tendency among aldermen is usually to be positive about a new mayoral appointment, we heard few reservations about him. But, everyone Aldertrack spoke to expects Ruiz to be a temporary appointment, and it is unclear exactly how temporary that it will be.

The Chicago Public Schools system has big financial problems, including a hundreds of millions of dollars budget shortfall for 2016, a multi-billion dollars pension liabilityand many hundreds of millions of dollars of risky financial engineering penalties still to be resolved.

Throughout his hard-fought reelection campaign Mayor Rahm Emanuel emphasized that he had the competence to guide the city through its beleaguered financial state to solvency.

Yet state law requires approval from the State legislature and Governor Bruce Rauner for almost all the possible solutions for fixing CPS: pension reform, altering the property tax levy, changing the state aid formula and especially changing the governance structure of Chicago’s schools.

In addition, the 1995 School Reform Amendatory Act stripped City Council of any oversight of CPS, giving Chicago’s mayor total authority to appoint the school board and to oversee the school budget, while creating elected Local School Councils to approve individual schools’ discretionary budgets and hire principals. Before the 1995 reforms City Council approved board members and approved bond issues, but today Council is almost totally sidelined.

“Since 1995, our City Council members have have zilch, nada when it comes to education accountability,” Ald. Rick Munoz (22) told Aldertrack.

Yet, of the aldermen we spoke to, there was little talk of increasing aldermanic oversight.

“The use of power is seldom found in law. It’s about influence, being a voice for your community,” said Ald. Will Burns (4).

But many aldermen expect there to be some fight over elected school boards in the coming year.

“I’m sure some people will see this as an opportunity,” said Ald. Ameya Pawar (47). “Having politics in running our schools is not a bad thing, it goes to taxpayer oversight.”

“At the heart of the debate is who should be the Board of Education,” said Ald. Munoz. “I think [the Progressive Caucus’] advocacy efforts are going to continue to ensure this Board of Education has an elected school board. With or without the crisis.”

But others point out the cold reality of the Mayor’s and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s opposition to an elected school board make change to the system unlikely.

“Whether or not there will ever actually be an elected school board, would obviously take a change in the state statutes,” said Ald. Pat O’Connor (40), Mayor Emanuel’s City Council floor leader. “I think the Governor is already on record that he would not support it and would therefore probably veto it. So, if you are looking for an answer, in the short term there will not be too much change…unless he were likely to change his mind.”

CPS’ current problems, “[are] not relevant,” to creation of an elected school board, said Ald. Joe Moore (49). “Getting elected to something does not mean honest and clean government,”

“I don’t think you could have an elected school board without a transition,” said Ald. Emma Mitts (37). “It would hamper what is already going on with the finances,”

Ald. Burns, who believes the school board has acted in good faith with aldermen, suggested moving more power to the grassroots. “We need to open up the 1988 school reform and give more power to Local School Councils,” he said. They have had their power diminished by the central office.”

Since Ald. Latasha Thomas (17) is retiring and the Council’s education committee chair will be vacant, Ald. Joe Moreno (1) would like to see hearings. “Whoever will be the new chair of education should start with hearings on the record, on what kind of school board we should have and aldermanic oversight,” he said. “I’d argue they should bring in the charter schools, education experts. Have some thorough hearings on this. Let the people testify.”