Here’s what the City Council can do to limit the mayor’s power over the CPS Board
What authority does the City Council have over Chicago Public Schools?
Not much at all. CPS is a so-called “sister agency” of the city, with its own board and budget. And unlike other sister agencies, CPS board appointments don’t require a Council vote. That structure is written in state law. “It’s very clear in the state statute that these are the appointments of the mayor. He made his decision,” said 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin, Johnson’s Budget Committee chair. Ervin was one of nine alderpersons who refrained from signing onto a statement calling for a public hearing in the wake of Friday’s mass resignation.
The Council does, however, vote on certain types of spending for CPS. Funding for projects like playground improvements, athletic fields, roof repairs and other infrastructure needs regularly comes from special city taxing districts. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said the financial overlap is a reason the City Council should have more oversight. “There is a big entanglement with … what we vote on to give to CPS,” Waguespack said. “The negotiations, in terms of what they’re getting, [are] important for us.”
What are alderpersons pushing for, then?
In the immediate term, a majority of alderpersons want a hearing in order to have “common sense prevail,” said 38th Ward Ald. Nick Sposato, who wants Martinez to stay on as CPS CEO. A proposed resolution calling on the former and newly appointed board members to testify before the Council says the district faces a critical choice. It warns of a “return to the days of mismanagement that led to the state Legislature replacing the entire board” and financial management of the district.
Waguespack said a hearing would allow Council members to dig into how the six new appointees were vetted, their stances on the fiscal issues facing the district and ultimately give alderpersons and their constituents a venue to air their concerns “that the mayor’s ignoring right now.” “We’re kind of the last people that are holding the line on ethics here,” Waguespack said, “and our responsibility is to make sure that … we hear from our constituents, and mine are definitely saying they’re very upset with the way this is going.”
Can the Council force the mayor or his administration to show up for a hearing?
No. The Council lacks subpoena power and would simply be requesting the mayor or his administration show up. “We just don’t have that direct subpoena power like, say, Congress or the New York City Council does,” Waguespack said. “So we really just have to ask and hope that they show up. My guess is that they would not.”
How has the mayor’s office responded to the pushback?
Johnson was defensive Monday as he announced a new slate of board members. He called several questions “disrespectful.” “City Council can have as many hearings as they want. There’s only one person who has the authority by state law to make appointments, and that’s the mayor of Chicago, and that’s me,” Johnson said. He dismissed criticisms, like why he was lobbying state lawmakers earlier this year for $2 billion in public subsidies for a new Chicago Bears stadium, as pure politics. “The moment people begin to take those unnecessary political shots at my administration, you have to question their motives,” Johnson said. “And just for the record, we do need a new Bears stadium.”
Is this just an attempt to take away power from the mayor?
Since Johnson took office, there have been repeated attempts from some of his strongest Council critics to strip power from the mayor. Prior to last month, a contingent of some of the Council’s most conservative alderpersons have led efforts calling for resignations or removals of some of Johnson’s committee chairs and senior aides. One of Johnson’s closest allies, 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, has compared those attempts to the era of the Council Wars, a period largely understood as racist pushback to the city’s progressive first Black mayor, Harold Washington, when a contingent of 29 mostly white aldermen revolted against him. “It is strange, because every mayor has been given the courtesy of selecting their own leadership team,” Sigcho-Lopez said Friday.
Conclusion
The City Council has limited authority over the Chicago Public Schools Board, but that doesn’t mean they can’t push for more oversight. A hearing could be a step towards transparency and accountability, giving alderpersons and constituents a voice in the district’s decision-making process.
FAQs
* What authority does the City Council have over CPS? The Council has limited authority, mostly related to budget and infrastructure spending.
* What are alderpersons pushing for? A majority of alderpersons are calling for a hearing to have “common sense prevail” and to give themselves and their constituents a venue to air their concerns.
* Can the Council force the mayor or his administration to show up for a hearing? No, the Council lacks subpoena power and can only request the mayor or his administration show up.
* How has the mayor’s office responded to the pushback? Mayor Johnson has been defensive, calling questions “disrespectful” and dismissing criticisms as pure politics.
* Is this just an attempt to take away power from the mayor? Some have questioned the motivations behind the Council’s efforts, but others see it as a legitimate attempt to increase transparency and accountability.
