Does The Budget Vote Shows Cracks in Mayor's Facade?

By vouchey in News on Dec 16, 2004 1:26PM

Now that the Chicago City Budget has passed, people are starting to wonder if a non-unanimous vote shows a crack in Daley's armor. This year the budget passed 45-5. Under other circumstances that may seem like an enormous victory, but in Chicago politics, going against the mayor is a risky gambit. Are these daring aldermen the vangard of a revolt against Daley?

Some history first: Of the sixteen budget votes Mayor Richard M. Daley has overseen, only two have been unanimous. Six have have passed without opposition (through abstentions or missing aldermen). City budget votes are never squeakers, since most of the negotiation goes on behind the scenes. For instance, in 1992, during the last economic downturn, there was a great deal of concern among aldermen that the city could raise property taxes. The Daley Administration lobbied hard, avoided a property tax hike, and still passed the budget with a comfortable 33-9 margin.

Chicagoist doesn't really think five nay votes makes for much of a movement. These are aldermen making a statement, not leading a revolt. More accurate, probably, is an upcoming report by former alderman and current University of Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago professor, Dick Simpson, that says Chicago City Council is the most rubber-stamping city council in the country. There's a lot of reasons for that: patronage jobs are controlled by the mayor; little history of partisan competition in city politics; and a go-along to get-along culture in Chicago politics.

In the end, does any of this spell doom for Mayor Daley's tenure? Nah. What's to complain about?

Photo via City of Chicago