Chicago City Council - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government

Law and government of Chicago

The government of the City of Chicago, Illinois, is divided into executive and legislative branches. The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments...

of the City of Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

in Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards

Wards of the United States

In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...

to serve four-year terms. The Chicago City Council is gaveled into session regularly (usually monthly) to consider ordinances, orders, and resolutions whose subject matter includes traffic code changes, utilities, taxes, and many other issues. The council, in conjunction with the Mayor of Chicago

Mayor of Chicago

The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...

, hears recommendations from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks

Commission on Chicago Landmarks

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks, established in 1968 by a Chicago City Ordinance, is composed of nine members appointed by the Mayor and the Chicago City Council. It is responsible for presenting recommendations of individual buildings, sites, objects, or entire districts to be designated as...

and then may grant individual properties Chicago Landmark

Chicago Landmark

Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...

status. The presiding officer of the Chicago City Council is the Mayor of Chicago

Mayor of Chicago

. The secretary is the City Clerk of Chicago

City Clerk of Chicago

City Clerk of Chicago is in charge of record keeping for the city and elections. While the Chicago City Council is in session, the City Clerk serves as secretary...

. Both positions are popularly elected offices.

The Chicago City Council chambers are located in Chicago City Hall

Chicago City Hall

Chicago City Hall is the official seat of government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center and the James R...

. Also located in the building are the downtown offices of the individual aldermen and staff.

Between 1972 and 2009, a total of 30 Chicago aldermen were indicted and convicted of federal crimes such as bribery, extortion, embezzlement, conspiracy, mail fraud and income tax evasion. Three additional aldermen were indicted for similar offenses but two died before federal prosecutors could bring them to trial and one, Anthony Laurino (39th) was too sick to stand trial.

Chicago aldermen

The last election was held in 2011, with new members being sworn in on May 16, 2011.

Ward	Name	First elected	Party
1	Proco Joe Moreno Proco Joe Moreno Proco Joe Moreno was appointed, to replace Manny Flores, as Chicago's 1st Ward Alderman by Mayor Richard M. Daley on March 26, 2010....	2010*	Democratic
2	Bob Fioretti Bob Fioretti Robert "Bob" Fioretti is an Alderman in the Chicago City Council, representing Chicago's 2nd Ward. The 2nd Ward includes portions of Bronzeville, East Garfield Park, Illinois Medical District, Little Italy, Loop, Near West Side, Prairie District, South Loop, University Village, Westhaven, and West...	2007	Democratic
3	Pat Dowell Pat Dowell Pat Dowell is an alderman in the Chicago City Council representing 3rd ward of the City of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Dowell was elected in April 2007 in a runoff election against incumbent Dorothy Tillman. Dowell had lost to Tillman in 2003....	2007	Democratic
4	Will Burns	2011	Democratic
5	Leslie Hairston Leslie Hairston Leslie Hairston is alderman of the 5th ward of the City of Chicago; she was elected in 1999. She was re-elected in 2003 & 2011.-Early life:...	1999	Democratic
6	Roderick Sawyer	2011	Democratic
7	Sandi Jackson Sandi Jackson Sandra Lee "Sandi" Jackson , , was elected to the Chicago City Council as an alderman of the 7th ward of the City of Chicago in the 2007 municipal elections held on February 27, 2007. She succeeds Darcel A. Beavers who had been appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M...	2007	Democratic
8	Michelle A. Harris	2006*	Democratic
9	Anthony Beale Anthony Beale Anthony A Beale is an American politician, one of the youngest members to serve as elected official on the City of Chicago's City Council. He is an alderman of the 9th ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois...	1999	Democratic
10	John Pope John Pope (alderman) John A. Pope is alderman of the 10th ward of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 1999 and is currently serving his fourth term.-Early life:...	1999	Democratic
11	James Balcer James Balcer James A. Balcer is alderman of the 11th Ward of the City of Chicago . A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed to the Chicago City Council by Mayor Richard M...	1997*	Democratic
12	George Cardenas George Cardenas George A. Cardenas is alderman of the 12th Ward of the City of Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to his first term on the Chicago City Council in 2003.- Early life :...	2003	Democratic
13	Marty Quinn	2011	Democratic
14	Ed Burke Ed Burke Edward M. Burke is alderman of the 14th Ward of the City of Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1969, and represents part of the city's Southwest Side. Burke has been called Chicago's "most powerful alderman" by the Chicago Sun-Times...	1969	Democratic
15	Toni Foulkes	2007	Democratic
16	Joann Thompson	2007	Democratic
17	Latasha Thomas Latasha Thomas Latasha Thomas is the alderman of the 17th ward of the City of Chicago. She was appointed to that position by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2000, subsequently elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007.-Early life, education, and career:...	2000*	Democratic
18	Lona Lane	2006*	Democratic
19	Matthew O'Shea	2011	Democratic
20	Willie Cochran	2007	Democratic
21	Howard Brookins Jr. Howard Brookins Jr. Howard Brookins Jr. is the Alderman of the 21st Ward of the City of Chicago. He was elected in 2003 and is currently serving his second term.-Early life:...	2003	Democratic
22	Ricardo Muñoz Ricardo Muñoz Ricardo Muñoz is alderman of the 22nd ward of the City of Chicago. Muñoz was appointed to this position by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1993.-Aldermanic career:...	1993*	Democratic
23	Michael Zalewski Michael Zalewski Michael R. Zalewski is alderman of the 23rd ward of the City of Chicago and also serves as the mayor pro-tempore.As a member of the Chicago City Council, Zalewski serves on five committees: Aviation; Budget and Government Operations; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Energy, Environmental Protection...	1995	Democratic
24	Michael Chandler	2011	Democratic
25	Daniel Solis Daniel Solis Daniel "Danny" Solis is a Chicago politician who serves as the alderman for the 25th ward which includes the Lower West Side community area. He was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1996. He is the brother of Patti Solis Doyle, Senator Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager. Solis was a...	1996*	Democratic
26	Roberto Maldonado Roberto Maldonado Roberto Maldonado is Commissioner for the 8th district of Cook County, Illinois and alderman for Chicago's 26th Ward.- Early life :Maldonado earned both his undergraduate and his master’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, before heading north to Chicago...	2009*	Democratic
27	Walter Burnett, Jr. Walter Burnett, Jr. Walter Burnett, Jr. is alderman of the 27th Ward of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 1995.- Early life :Burnett grew up in the Cabrini–Green public housing project, in Chicago. Burnett served two years in jail for bank robbery, when he was 17. Burnett attended Harold Washington College...	1995	Democratic
28	Jason Ervin	2011*	Democratic
29	Deborah L. Graham Deborah L. Graham Deborah L. Graham is a member of the Chicago City Council. Since March 2010 she has represented the 29th Ward on Chicago's West Side. She was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley....	2010*	Democratic
30	Ariel Reboyras Ariel Reboyras Ariel Reboyras is alderman of the 30th ward of the City of Chicago; he was first elected in 2003. He was previously a deputy commissioner in the general service department.-Early life:...	2003	Democratic
31	Ray Suarez Ray Suarez (politician) Regner E. Suarez is alderman of the 31st ward of the City of Chicago; he was first elected in 1991.-Personal life:Suarez was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, and later enlisted in the United States Marine Corps...	1991	Democratic
32	Scott Waguespack Scott Waguespack Scott Waguespeck is a member of the Chicago City Council, representing the 32nd Ward on Chicago's Northwest Side since 2007.-Background:...	2007	Democratic
33	Richard Mell Richard Mell Richard F. "Dick" Mell is an American politician and long-time member of the Chicago City Council. He is a Democrat. Mell is the chairman of the Rules Committee and has a history of feuding with former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley....	1975	Democratic
34	Carrie Austin Carrie Austin Carrie Austin is alderman of the 34th ward of the City of Chicago.As a member of the Chicago City Council, she serves on six committees: Budget and Government operations; Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities; Finance; Health; Housing and Real Estate; and Zoning.In 2008 Austin was...	1994*	Democratic
35	Rey Colón Rey Colón Rey Colón is alderman of the 35th ward of the City of Chicago; he was first elected in 2003.-Early history:Colón grew up in the Logan Square neighborhood...	2003	Democratic
36	Nicholas Sposato	2011	Democratic
37	Emma Mitts Emma Mitts -Public service:Mitts was born and raised in Arkansas. She became active in city government when she moved to Chicago. Mitts was also a CAPS facilitator, Sunday school instructor, and President of the Community Action Council, an organization that provides services to assist persons in need to...	2000*	Democratic
38	Timothy Cullerton	2011*	Democratic
39	Margaret Laurino Margaret Laurino Margaret Laurino Barnette is Alderman of the 39th Ward of the City of Chicago. She is the daughter of former Alderman , the sister of former state Representative William Laurino, and the wife of 39th Ward Democratic Committeeman .- Early life :...	1994*	Democratic
40	Patrick J. O'Connor	1983	Democratic
41	Mary O'Connor	2011	Democratic
42	Brendan Reilly	2007	Democratic
43	Michele Smith Michele Smith (politician) Michele Smith is a member of the Chicago City Council, representing the 43rd Ward on Chicago's North Side.-Background:...	2011	Democratic
44	Thomas M. Tunney Thomas M. Tunney Thomas M. Tunney is an American entrepreneur and politician from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2003, he has served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council. He represents the prominent 44th Ward of the city, which includes major tourist destinations, Boystown and Wrigleyville...	2002*	Democratic
45	John Arena	2011	Democratic
46	James Cappleman James Cappleman James Cappleman is an American licensed clinical social worker and politician. On April 5, 2011, Cappleman was elected to the Chicago City Council, representing the 46th Ward...	2011	Democratic
47	Ameya Pawar	2011	Democratic
48	Harry Osterman Harry Osterman Harry Osterman is a Democratic member of the Chicago City Council, representing the 48th ward. He previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 14th District from 2000 to 2011....	2011	Democratic
49	Joe Moore Joe Moore (politician) Joseph Moore is the alderman representing the 49th Ward of the City of Chicago. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was first elected to the City Council in 1991 and re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011....	1991	Democratic
50	Debra Silverstein Debra Silverstein Debra Silverstein is the Alderman of the 50th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois. She defeated 38-year incumbent Bernard Stone in the 2011 runoff election, a race in which she was endorsed by Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel....	2011	Democratic

* Year of appointment, not first election

External links

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