The tradition of #AldermanPrerogative over city zoning decisions grants too much power to a single person. It must be abolished because it leads to abuse of power, and #Aldermen have become little more than a tool designed to serve corporate interests.

This “unwritten rule” exists in opposition to the fundamental tenets of democracy, and it creates hurdles that get in the way of formulating a coherent development strategy for the City. Chicago is divided into 50 separate wards. If each Alderman has the ability to stop development in his or her ward, this results in 50 different sets of rules, one for each area. 

The abuse of Aldermanic privileges can not be ignored any longer. The system perpetuates segregation, creates disparities in investment across communities, and invites political corruption. Thirty different Aldermen have been indicted since 1973, nine of which were in the time from 2019 to present. City zoning issues are at the heart of most of these indictments. City Council’s unchecked power is one of the first things Lori Lightfoot vowed to take on when she was elected Mayor. She said that it was her plan “to end the process of aldermanic prerogative as the first step in a comprehensive ethics reform package to reform the way government works in Chicago.” 

#Alderman Edward M. Burke of the 14th ward has been indicted on 14 counts (so far) of racketeering, extortion, and bribery. Not many people have voiced their surprise, though... because this sort of thing happens on the regular in our City Council.

Abolishing the Alderman privilege is something that we absolutely must do. Affordability, sustainability, and mobility for Chicago’s long term plans can only be achieved when… or rather, if… it is overseen by an overarching uniform policy. If we are divided into 50 mini-kingdoms, there is no hope that we will ever come to a cohesive decision about future developments.