Introduction to City Clerk’s Proposal
Before he stepped down, CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. was known to City Council members for his tone-deaf failure to respond to riders and their elected representatives. His steadfast refusal to respond to their questions about ghost buses and other service and safety issues prompted Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) to push a resolution compelling Carter’s quarterly testimony before the Council. That kind of foot-dragging won’t happen again, if City Clerk Anna Valencia has her way.
Background on the Issue
Valencia joined forces with Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) on Wednesday in introducing a resolution that could set the stage for an already emboldened Council to exercise greater authority over other agencies of local government. Those agencies include the CTA, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Park District, and City Colleges of Chicago. All those so-called “sister agencies” have their own boards and their own budgets. And while CPS is transitioning to a fully-elected Board of Education, board members at the other agencies are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Council. Other than that, however, the Council has no other authority over those “sister agencies.”
Che Rhymefest Smith (center) and other members of the Chicago Board of Education during a meeting at CPS headquarters in the Loop on Feb. 27.
Tyler Pasciak Lariviere / Sun-Times
The Proposed Resolution
Mayor Brandon Johnson apparently isn’t enthusiastic about the reform. Valencia’s resolution was shunted to the Rules Committee, where legislation opposed by the mayor goes to languish. Valencia, however, believes change is long overdue. She wants to shine more light on those other agencies, whose operations have a huge impact on how Chicagoans live, play and get to work and how well and where their children are educated.
Goals of the Resolution
Valencia wants to know more about the process of appointing board members to these agencies. She questions the notice time to all City Council members and the public when a board member is appointed, the requirements they need to adhere to, and whether they have the necessary experience. She also wants to establish regular reporting requirements, such as a state of the agency address by the CEO or president and board chair, similar to the mayor’s budget address.
Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia (center) chats with Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) (left) and City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin after Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled his proposed 2025 budget during a City Council meeting in October.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file
Public Trust and Transparency
Too often, crucial information about these agencies is either not shared or distributed in closed-door briefings, contributing to distrust in government. Valencia believes that regular, transparent communication is essential to rebuild trust. As a mom, she cares deeply about the school system, parks, and transit safety, and she wants to ensure that board members are experts in their fields and will hold agencies accountable.
<img class="Image" alt="After being no-show in the past, Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter showed up Thursday to meet with the City Council’s transportation committee — and said he would keep showing up whenever he’s asked to appear." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/706e0ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3018×2012+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1a%2Fb1%2Fac1a6315ed7a84352b713b1b66c5%2Fcta-111122-9.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8be3865/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3018×2012+0+0/resize/1680×1120!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1a%2Fb1%2Fac1a6315ed7a84352b713b1b66c5%2Fcta-111122-9.jpg 2x" width="840" height="560" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/706e0ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3018×2012+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchor
