An official website of the City of Chicago Here's how you know. The site is secure. City Council As the legislative body of the city, the City Council usually meets once every month to exercise general and specific powers delegated by state statute. The Chicago City Clerk website is the primary location for information about the City Council, including meetings, legislation, live streaming and other resources. Originally settled by Jon Baptiste Point de Sable in the s and incorporated as a city on March 4, , Chicago developed from a small trading center on the shores of Lake Michigan to the vibrant modern metropolis of today.
The City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government under the Illinois Constitution and thereby authorized to perform certain functions pertaining to its government and affairs. The Mayor is the chief executive of the city and responsible for the administration and management of various city departments. In the absence of the Mayor, the President Pro Tempore, who is a member of and elected by the City Council, acts as presiding officer. The Mayor submits proposals and recommendations to the City Council of his own accord and on behalf of city departments.
Although a member of the City Council, the Mayor is not allowed to vote on issues except in certain instances, for example where the vote taken on a matter before the body results in a tie.
However, the President Pro Tempore can vote on all legislative matters. Office of the Mayor. The City Clerk is the official record keeper for the City Council and the designated repository for city documents. The City Clerk also maintains the corporate seal of the city and publishes the official legislative record of City Council actions in the Journal of Proceedings and related pamphlets as directed by state or municipal law or upon direction of the City Council.
Read more about the Office of the City Clerk. Aldermen are legislators and members of the City Council who serve a four year term to represent the residents of a district or area of the city known as a ward. Nominated by petition of the voters of each ward, elections are held on the last Tuesday in February in the year preceding the presidential election. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in that election, a run-off election between the two highest candidates is held on the first Tuesday in April of the same year.
By custom, an alderman is a source of information and intermediary on behalf of their constituency about city functions and services within the ward. Many aldermen maintain an office within the ward to provide greater service to their constituents. The City Council is the legislative branch of government of the City of Chicago. The legislative powers of the City Council are granted by the state legislature and by the home rule provisions of the Illinois constitution.
Within specified limits, the City Council has the general right to exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur debt. As established by resolution, the City Council is organized into sixteen standing committees. The jurisdiction, membership and appointment of chairman and vice-chairman are approved by the City Council.
Subcommittees may be established for consideration of subject matter under the authority of the parent committee as determined by the chairman. Committees meet on call of the chairman or upon request of a majority of the members. At the beginning of each term, the City Council elects one of its members to serve as President Tempore to preside over Council meetings in the absence of the Mayor and adopts parliamentary rules and regulations governing its meetings.
Also, in accordance Illinois law, the City Council elects a Vice-Mayor who serves as Interim Mayor in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Mayor or the inability of the Mayor to serve due to illness or injury.
Text not in bold font is explanatory, for the convenience of the reader. In accordance with Rule 3 of the City Council Rules of Order and Procedure, the following is the agenda and order of business for regular City Council meetings:. If a quorum is present, the Council may proceed. A quorum consists of the majority of the members of the City Council, including the Mayor. If no quorum is present, the City Council shall, by majority vote of the members present, move to recess or adjourn.
Members of the general public may address the City Council on subject matters appearing on meeting agenda. The Mayor or Presiding Officer may also present resolutions or proclamations. The City Clerk apprises the City Council of communications from various departments and agencies that were filed in his or her office from the time of the previous meeting. The City Clerk also notes the publication of the previous City Council Journal and other documents required or requested to be published.
Matters submitted to the City Clerk by members of the general public or other entities requiring City Council approval are also introduced and referred to the appropriate committee for deliberation.
Standing committee chairmen report out to the full City Council the recommendations of the membership on matters under their consideration.
Joint committees comprising two or more standing committees also report their recommendations at this time. Special committee chairmen present their reports.
Non-controversial resolutions honoring or paying tribute to individuals or organizations or ceremonial in nature are considered under the Agreed Calendar and on recommendation of the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, they are voted upon as a group by the full City Council. The Agreed Calendar is also commonly referred to as the Consent Calendar. The City Clerk will "Call the Wards" and read into the record new legislative proposals ordinances, orders, petitions, resolutions, or other original matters introduced by aldermen on a variety of topics including but not limited to Municipal Code amendments, traffic regulations, zoning matters, licensing requirements, etc.
The order of presentation alternates each meeting beginning with the 1st Ward on one meeting, then the 50th Ward on the next succeeding meeting, and so forth. Matters may be referred to a Joint Committee for consideration; however, if two or more committees are called, the subject matter is referred, without debate, to the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics.
During a recent hearing, veteran 33rd Ward Ald. James Cappleman, who was just elected to the City Council in Alderman Mell, meanwhile, bought a chainsaw for his ward office in case constituents need a tree trimmed on short notice. Alderman Moore said he once had a staffer administer a pregnancy test to a worried young woman who visited his ward office. Aldermen could trade city favors, such as pothole-filling and curb-cutting, for votes come election day.
While that sort of quid-pro-quo is now looked down upon, the scaffolding of the Machine ward system remains intact, allowing aldermen micro-manage their wards. Follow him on Twitter akeefe. Some aldermen allow their residents to vote on how the money should be spent while others decide on the spending themselves. Aldermen also can weigh in on issuing liquor licenses for stores as well as restaurants that want to serve booze, and they facilitate permits to host block parties, parades, sidewalk sales and any event that requires a street closure.
Chicagoist returns: Chance the Rapper stars in comedic deep-dive into Chicago's aldermanic politics. But in practice, the alderman of that ward has the final say on any big development. That means other members of the City Council almost always defer to the alderman of the ward in which the project is proposed.
A law banned foie gras , a bird-liver delicacy served in Chicago restaurants.
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