Today, in what may be the closest vote in City Council history, the vote for full council oversight lost to a substitute ordinance by a vote of 25-23. While the substitute ordinance denied the Inspector General Ferguson the power to audit city council, as a result of our efforts it does the following:
- Eliminates the ineffective office of Legislative Inspector General
- Removes virtually all of the procedural obstacles to investigating aldermen and their staffs
- For the first time in history it gives the IG jurisdiction over lobbyists and contractors
- Fully funds the office of IG
I vigorously argued for complete reform and the adoption of the original ordinance I introduced in September 2014, saying:
"Today we have the
opportunity to publicly be held accountable to
the same
ethical standards of behavior on the job as thousands of
employees working in firehouses, in police
stations, on street crews and in offices...
And I say oversight of this Chamber should not be hobbled under any guise. Because limiting oversight is the same as evading it."
While we have made substantial strides, our work here is not done. Together we can solve the problems facing Chicago. Voices are pleading across the city for greater transparency and accountability. I believe more change is coming and this is a start.
Click here
to read my full remarks at city council.
Click here to read a statement from Inspector General Joe Ferguson.
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