Aldermen are breaking local and state laws with astonishing regularity, according to a new report from The Beachwood Reporter and Chicago Talks. No one keeps written records, and not enough aldermen are present for votes or meetings.
The investigation found that nearly half of the 21 committee meetings investigators documented did not have enough members present to vote under their own rules, yet they did.For instance, the traffic committee meeting that violated Illinois law also broke the City Council's own rules. Seven members had to be present for the meeting to be called to order, but that didn't stop the three aldermen from conducting business.
Ald. O'Connor (40th) said no law or rule was broken because the committee didn't take a roll call to determine whether there were enough members to conduct business. Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) agreed, saying: "Unless someone calls for a quorum, the assumption is that the quorum is present."
That...is not how counting works.
The report also found that only 4 of the 19 committees keep written records of their proceedings, despite a state law requiring minutes for all meetings. Technically, "Because most of the Chicago City Council committees don't comply with the law, misdemeanor charges could be brought against individual members by the Cook County State Attorney's office." [Chicago Talks, Beachwood Reporter, photo by MichaelDaKidd]
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This is an eye-opener! Even are [sic] condo board is held to the rule of quorum (which is also regulate by the Condo. Proporty Act...a law!).
After many of the yahoos and bozos (no offense, Mr. Bozo) who are elected, then are sworn in, they completely forget the oath that states they will uphold the law. Most of them have legal backgrounds, fer chrissakes!
Can I secede as an individual and choose what county to which I'd be resident?
1. can anyone attend committee meetings?
2. who is supposed to take the minutes? is this a paid position?
Violating Robert's Rules of Order, yes, but is that part of the statute governing the meetings?
Yes, it violates the open meetings act.
Alderman breaking the law it cant be. Next thing you know an alderman will have an illegal cache of firearms.
I wonder for what reason the alderman would not want to keep a written record of there meetings.
Huh. There's this list of committee summaries at the Clerk's site.