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The Better Government Association published a policy statement Friday renewing its call for the City Council to shed its reputation as a rubber stamp for Chicago mayors.
Chicago City Council has 50 alderpeople, representing around 54,000 people each. That’s compared to 51 council members in New York City, each representing 173,000 people. Los Angeles has 15 council members with each member representing about 257,000 people.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized the Chicago Board of Ethics on Monday for acting “as judge, jury and executioner” when investigating officials for violating the city’s ethics ordinance.
The Ethics and Government Oversight Committee unanimously endorsed the reworked version of the proposal authored by Ald. Michele Smith (43rd Ward), the panel’s chair, and backed by the Chicago Board of Ethics. A final vote by the full City Council is set for Wednesday.
Ethics reform advocates say they're disappointed but not surprised little was done during the Illinois legislature's spring session to curry the public's trust, even as former House Speaker Michael Madigan's indictment in March put public corruption back in the spotlight. But they still hold out hope for the future.