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Lightfoot administration announces City Council committee leadership, structure proposal

CHICAGO (May 17, 2019)-- Mayor-elect Lori E. Lightfoot announced her proposal for City Council committee leadership on Friday.

“Chicagoans expect us to deliver on our commitment to end the old way of doing business in City Council, and this proposal will begin to chart that course,” said Mayor-elect Lightfoot. “We worked hard to ensure diversity in committee leadership, and to empower aldermen who will help achieve our mission of a more transparent and accountable City Council.”

The proposal includes: • Ald. (32) as chair of the Committee on Finance • Ald. (3) as chair of the Committee on Budget and Government Operations • Ald. (36) as chair of the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development • Ald. (44) as chair of the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards • Ald. (10) as chair of the Committee on Workforce Development • Ald. (21) as chair of the Committee on Transportation and Public Way • Ald. Michelle Harris (8) as chair of the Committee on Committees and Rules • Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27) as chair of the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety • Ald. (38) as chair of the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation • Ald. Michael Scott, Jr. (24) as chair of the Committee on Education and Child Development • Ald. Matthew O’Shea (19) as the chair of Committee on Aviation • Ald. (29) as the chair of the Committee on Public Safety • Ald. (48) as the chair of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate • Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6) as the chair of the Committee on Health and Human Relations (formerly the Committee on Human Relations) • Ald. George Cárdenas (12) as chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy (formerly Committee on Health and Environmental Protection) • Ald. (37) as chair of the Committee on License and Consumer Protection The proposal includes several changes to the committee structure, including the creation of a new Committee on Ethics and Good Governance with Ald. Michele Smith (43) as chair; the creation of a Committee on Public Health and Human Relations and a Committee on Environment and Energy, which were previously one combined committee; and the creation of a Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity to focus on matters relating to minority and women-owned business contracting, with Ald. as chair (34).

“These City Council committees are a reflection of my administration’s priorities, and I ask that aldermen rally around them and work with me to realize a vision of a safe, healthy and equitable city for all,” said Mayor-elect Lightfoot. “I am grateful to the aldermen who have agreed to stand up and lead the way forward with me.”

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) will serve as President Pro Tempore while Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) will serve as Floor Leader. Ald. Tom Tunney (44) will serve as Vice Mayor.

Ald. Villegas, who is the outgoing chair of the City Council’s Latino Caucus, will be the first Latino City Council floor leader in history.

Mayor-elect Lightfoot has spoken to all the proposed chairs in recent days.

Aldermen will vote on the proposed committee leadership structure at the May 29th City Council meeting.

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