Chicago Mayors: Lawmakers Or Figureheads?

The Mayor of Chicago is the head of the city's government and is responsible for directing how the government runs, including appointing and removing department heads, running council meetings, submitting city-level laws, and holding veto power. The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the city's government and consists of the Mayor, the City Clerk, and 50 aldermen, each representing one of the city's 50 wards. While the Mayor can submit city-level laws for consideration, the City Council has the power to pass or reject these laws. Additionally, any citizen of Chicago can propose legislation to the City Council for consideration, although this power is rarely used and there is no clear set of rules for how citizens can exercise it.

Chicago's legislative branch

The legislative branch of the City of Chicago is the Chicago City Council, which consists of the Mayor, the City Clerk, and alderpersons from each of the 50 wards. The City Council typically meets once a month to exercise general and specific powers delegated by state statute.

The City Council votes on all proposed loans, grants, bond issues, land acquisitions and sales, zoning changes, traffic control issues, mayoral appointees, and other financial appropriations. It has 19 standing committees that work with individual departments on the execution of city activities and review proposed ordinances, resolutions, and orders before they are voted on by the full council.

Any individual can put a piece of proposed ordinance before the council for consideration, although no individually-introduced ordinance has been passed into law in recent history. The City Clerk's website states that "Legislation may be introduced by the Mayor or the executive departments, by one or more aldermen, by a City Council committee, or by a citizen (through the City Clerk’s Office)."

If a legislative matter is passed by the City Council, the Mayor may exercise the right to veto such an issue by notifying the City Council before the next regular Council meeting, which occurs no less than five days after the vote. The members of the City Council may accept such a veto or override it with a two-thirds vote.

The process by which laws are enacted is governed by the Illinois Revised Statutes, the Municipal Code of Chicago, and the City Council’s Rules of Order and Procedure.

Mayoral power to submit laws

In Chicago, the mayor has the power to submit laws. The mayor directs how the government runs, which includes submitting city-level laws, such as raising the minimum wage. The mayor also has the power to veto laws passed by the City Council, which can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote of the Council members.

The City Council is the legislative branch of the Chicago city government and is made up of 50 elected aldermen, each representing one of the city's 50 wards. The City Council is responsible for introducing and passing laws, approving budgets, and making key mayoral appointments. While the mayor can submit laws, the City Council has the final say in approving them. The Council can also override the mayor's veto, although this is a rare occurrence.

Any individual, including citizens, can propose legislation to the Chicago City Council for consideration. However, there is no clear set of rules or procedures for citizens to introduce legislation, and it is considered a ""rare occurrence" by the City Clerk's Office. Citizen-led legislation often faces obstacles and has not been successful in recent years.

The process of introducing legislation in Chicago involves submitting a proposed ordinance to the City Clerk's Office, either by the mayor, executive departments, aldermen, a City Council committee, or a citizen. The proposed ordinance is then considered by a committee, which can accept or reject it. If accepted, the ordinance is voted on by the City Council, and if passed, it becomes law. If rejected, it must be reintroduced as a new bill.

While Chicago's mayor has the power to submit laws, the City Council plays a crucial role in the legislative process by reviewing, approving, and enacting the proposed laws. The mayor's veto power adds another layer of influence in shaping the city's legislation.

Mayoral veto power

The mayor of Chicago has had veto power since 1850, when it was obtained as a qualified veto. The first exercise of this power was in 1852, when the city council overrode Mayor Walter S. Gurnee's veto of an ordinance granting the Illinois Central Railroad a right of way along the lakefront.

In 1872, Mayor Joseph Medill obtained the "Mayor's Bill", which granted him and future mayors a line-item veto, among other increased powers. The frequency of the use of the mayoral veto has varied depending on the relationship between the mayor and the city council. For example, Richard M. Daley was in office for 15 years before issuing his first veto in 2006, whereas Mayor Harold Washington's mode of governance during the Council Wars of the mid-1980s has been described as "rule by veto".

In Chicago, the mayor operates as the chief executive officer of the city government, which includes submitting city-level laws and holding veto power. The mayor's veto power can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote of the City Council.

The nature of a mayor's veto power in Illinois depends on the form of government that a city or village has adopted. In cities and villages that have adopted the commission form of government, the mayor has no veto power.

Citizen-led legislation

In Chicago, the legislative branch of government is the City Council, which consists of the Mayor, the City Clerk, and alderpersons elected from each of the 50 wards to serve four-year terms. While it is typically elected officials who introduce legislation, any Chicago resident can propose legislation to the City Council for consideration. This is thanks to a quirk of Illinois law and Chicago City Council rules, which state that there is no limit on who can submit items to the city clerk.

However, this is a rarely used power, and no citizen-led ordinance has been passed into law in recent history. There is also no clear set of rules for how a citizen can introduce legislation, and once formally submitted to the City Council, the process is out of the submitter's hands.

To introduce legislation, a citizen must submit a proposed ordinance to the City Clerk's Office, either in person at Chicago's City Hall or electronically. The ordinance must adhere to the formatting criteria outlined in Rule 46 of the Chicago City Council's rules of order and procedure. Once submitted, the ordinance will be formally introduced at the next regular meeting of the City Council and referred to a committee.

The City Clerk's Office plays a key role in this process, as they are responsible for reading the ordinance and assigning it to one of the City Council committees. The committees then review the ordinance and make a recommendation to the City Council, which votes on whether to pass or reject the legislation. If passed, the legislation becomes law. However, the Mayor has the right to veto any legislation passed by the City Council, sending it back for reconsideration. A two-thirds majority vote of the City Council is required to override a mayoral veto.

City Council's role in approving budgets

In Chicago, the City Council is the legislative branch of the city government. It consists of the Mayor, the City Clerk, and alderpersons elected from each of the 50 wards. The City Council plays a crucial role in approving the city's annual budget, which outlines the revenues, expenditures, and liabilities of the city for the upcoming fiscal year.

The budget process in Chicago typically begins in the summer when city departments submit their personnel and non-personnel needs for the upcoming year to the Office of Budget and Management (OBM). The OBM then prepares a preliminary budget based on these requests and the expected available resources. This preliminary budget forms the basis of the Annual Financial Analysis, which is issued by executive order on or before July 31 each year.

The Annual Financial Analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the city's financial condition, including historical revenue and expenditure analysis, financial forecasts, and detailed assessments of the city's reserves, capital program, debt, and pensions. Throughout the summer and fall, the OBM and city departments collaborate to review and refine departmental budgets, considering operating and programmatic needs. The city also encourages public participation during this period, inviting residents to share their questions and opinions about the budget.

The City Council holds budget hearings, which are open to the public, to discuss and approve the budget. These hearings provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council and offer their input. The City Council must adopt the annual budget by December 31, as mandated by Illinois law. The approved budget, known as the Annual Appropriation Ordinance, outlines the expenditures, liabilities, and appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, ensuring a balanced budget where expenditures do not exceed estimated resources.

While the Mayor plays a significant role in the budget process, the City Council has the authority to approve the budget and pass legislation. The Mayor can propose and introduce legislation, but it is the City Council that ultimately votes on it. The Mayor does have the power to veto legislation passed by the City Council, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Council members.

Frequently asked questions