The “Windy City” has a newly elected mayor and her name is, Lori Lightfoot. She seems to be playing zero games as she has eliminated a longstanding mechanism of Chicago’s political landscape.. The Alderman’s veto power.. But this is limited to licenses and permits not for zoning.
This will limit the Alderman’s power to stop development or projects in their wards also for licenses and permits for liquor licenses, disabled parking, parades, driveway permits, block parties and sidewalk cafes. The metro population of Chicago stands around 9.5 million people and the city is divided into 50 wards. These Alderman are elected officials who basically had “unchecked power” as Lightfoot describes and wanted to limit that. This system allowed room for corruption as the alderman were in charge of providing city services to residents as well.
In fact a new report from the University of Illinois states that, the Chicago metropolitan area was ranked as the most corrupt U.S. city. The city has had a long history of corruption and this move by the mayor is a step in the right direction for the citizens of the city.
But to reform Chicago the mayor will need the City Council on her side to secure votes for her agenda to reform Chicago and make it a place for everyone. Having absolute power, in a democratic society, kinda ruins the concept of equal representation. Something such as this should’ve been reform long ago.
There have been instances of alderman using their vetoing power to stop affordable housing and keep Chicago segregated. Stopping affordable housing units to be being approved because of an alderman’s word is not in the best interest of a city.
This city needs about 120,000 affordable units and will now have the opportunity to decrease this number with the limitation in veto power.
Coming soon.. . The Chicago City series…
