Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is already working behind the scenes to put his stamp on the Chicago City Council.

Reports indicate that Finance Chair Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Aviation Chair Matt O’Shea (19th), License Chair Emma Mitts (37th); and Aldermen Marty Quinn (13th) and Debra Silverstein (50th), who serve as chairs of the newly created Executive Appointments and Building Standards committees, respectively; could all lose their positions when the new administration takes hold, a recent Chicago Sun-Times report said.

“We want to work with the City Council in a collaborative way and we want to have conversations about putting together a structure that achieves our mutual objectives, which is moving the city forward,” Jason Lee, a senior advisor to Johnson's transition team, said in the Times report. “Historically, the mayor has had some influence in order to make sure that the Council can be an effective conduit for the city’s agenda. … There has to be some responsiveness there.”

Led by three of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s closest allies including Waguespack, the City Council has already taken steps to show it plans to be an independent body, such as approving a reorganization that increased the number of committees from 19 to 28.

“When this was organized, it was not clear who the mayor of Chicago would be,” Lee said. “Now, we know who it will be. So there is an opportunity to bring the mayor-elect of Chicago into the conversation, and folks have been amenable to those discussions. I’m not certain that I accept the premise that people will be upset or angry. Negotiations are negotiations. Nobody gets everything that they ask for. But hopefully, we get what we can all live with.” 

A teachers union organizer, county commissioner and former middle school teacher, Johnson ran for mayor on a campaign of affordable housing, public health, environmental justice and police reform. He defeated Paul Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, in the April 4 runoff election by capturing 51.4% of the vote.