Power of the City Council

The City Council consists of between 5 and 50 council members or elected aldermen, depending on the size of the city. The council acts as a congressional or parliamentary style legislative body, with the power to propose bills, pass laws, and hold votes to govern the city. In some cities, which use the strong mayor system, the mayor is the city’s independent chief executive with veto power over City Council legislation. In other cities the mayor is the chairman of the council and a voting member. In larger cities, the council has the power to elect council presidents, speakers, and other executive positions as well. The mayor’s role in the council depends on if the city has council-manager government or mayor-council government, and the authority given to the council by state law. Also, within the council there is a mayor pro term councilmember who can serve in case of the mayor’s absence. 8

In Chicago, the City Council serves as the city’s legislative body, meeting once each month. The council is composed of 50 aldermen, with the ability to exercise the powers delegated to it by state statute, including the power to vote on all proposed grants, loans, land acquisitions and sales, bond issues, zoning changes, mayoral appointees, traffic control issues, and other financial appropriations. The council has 19 committees, which work with various departments and review proposed ordinances, resolutions, and orders before the entire City Council votes on them. 9

Examples of the City Council Exercising its Powers

1. In 2008 the City Council voted 40-5 to sell Chicago’s parking meters to Morgan Stanley, two days after the sale was finalized and without seeing a copy of the full contract. The sale was for $1.16 billion, although, the meters have an estimated worth of $5 billion.10
2. With just a few days notice, the City Council voted 49-0, to privatize Midway Airport. Privatizing these assets allows city politicians to increase prices on services while maintaining political cover, and to raise funds for the city during a budget crisis. 11
3. During Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics, the City Council voted 49-0 in favor of a blanket financial guarantee to cover expenses. It was speculated that these funds would partially come from taxes, although the vote was taken in August of 2009, a time when public support for the games had fallen to 47%. 12