A bloc of newly elected progressive aldermen is laying out an ambitious agenda for the first 100 days of Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot’s administration, with the aim of pushing long-stalled legislation.
The aldermen, many of whom campaigned on being more independent than the incumbents they are replacing, detailed their plans in a memo sent to Lightfoot and other aldermen that they plan to release at a Thursday news conference.
Although the freshman class of left-leaning aldermen is aggressively laying out its vision, it’s unclear how much of it they’ll be able to accomplish. So far, only nine members of the council have signed on to the platform paper, 17 short of the 26-vote majority needed to pass ordinances in the body.
One of their proposals would place a referendum question on the ballot asking voters to increase the real estate transfer tax on wealthier homeowners, with proceeds going to help the homeless. Another would increase the minimum wage in the city to $15 an hour by 2021. A statewide minimum wage increase passed earlier this year won’t reach $15 an hour until 2025.
The aldermen also want to enact a Community Benefits Agreement with the Obama Presidential Center and amend the city’s immigrant-friendly Welcoming City ordinance to close what they say are loopholes that allow federal immigration officials access to the Chicago Police Department’s gang database.
“Many of these ordinances languished under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his downtown-driven corporate agenda. But it’s a new day in Chicago,” the aldermen wrote in their memo. “We are committed to working with the bold grassroots and labor organizations driving these fights, as well as our new colleagues and Mayor in City Hall, to pass these ordinances immediately.”
Signatories to the letter include Aldermen-elect Maria Hadden, 49th, Daniel La Spata, 1st, Matt Martin, 47th, Mike Rodriguez, 22nd, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, Byron Sigcho Lopez, 25th, Jeanette Taylor, 20th, and Andre Vasquez, 40th, as well as sitting Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th.
Many of the new aldermen were supported by United Working Families, a quasi-political party that’s positioned itself as “an alternative to the go-along, get-along model of Chicago politics as usual.”
Martin, who succeeded outgoing Ald. Ameya Pawar, told the Tribune he’s excited to propose “shovel-ready policies that tie directly to what I campaigned on.”
“While this is just the beginning — indeed, hard work remains regarding the budget and community oversight for CPD, among other issues — I believe our 100-day agenda sends a strong signal about the independent, progressive governance I want to help bring to City Council,” Martin said.
In April’s election, the ranks of the Progressive Caucus increased to an estimated 16 members. That’s not enough to control the agenda on the 50-member council, but the group could prove a formidable voting bloc if it sticks together. The nine aldermen signing on to the memo to Lightfoot are far short of the 26 votes needed to pass the agenda.
Lightfoot has said she supports a strong, independent City Council, and is in the process of working through who will be her committee chairs.
Lightfoot’s office could not immediately be reached.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
