Some Aldermen Still Work Two Jobs

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 3, 2012 5:40PM

Aldermen make anywhere between $104,101 to $114,913, which isn't a bad salary for what is technically a part-time gig, although the stress that comes with governing a city ward isn't something we'd want to deal with soon. New financial disclosure forms from City Council show that many still have careers outside of City Hall, including six of the 18 new aldermen.

For the more established aldermen, it was business as usual. The Sun-Times took the disclosure forms as another opportunity to focus on 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke's booming property tax appeal business. Burke's financial disclosure forms showed he now has 41 clients who do business with the city, including such business giants as Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, ComEd, Fifth Third Bank, and AT&T/AT&T Communications. Burke's stock portfolio has gotten healthier as the economy slowly recovers.

Among the newly elected aldermen who have jobs outside the chambers, the Tribune highlighted William Burns (4th), John Arena (45th) and Ameya Pawar (47th). But while Pawar still consults at Northwestern University on emergency business continuity planning and Arena said he's done little work at his family-owned design firm since he was elected, Burns works as managing director for ASGK Public Strategies, the political consulting firm set up by David Axelrod.

The Trib notes that five aldermen, including Burns, are in the political consulting business. Among them: Sandi Jackson (7th) Michael Zalewski (23rd), and Danny Solis (25th)