Emanuel has just four choices to fill City Council seat, including Madigan ally

2018年5月9日星期三

Emanuel has just four choices to fill City Council seat, including Madigan ally

Topspin

Mayor Rahm Emanuel will have just four names to pick from as he decides who will complete retiring Ald. Michael Zalewski's term, including a Springfield ally of House Speaker Mike Madigan who could be the front-runner for the Southwest Side 23rd Ward seat.

The mayor's office on Tuesday released the names of four people who applied last week to be considered by Emanuel's hand-picked, five-person panel to succeed Zalewski. He steps down at the end of this month.

Among them is state Rep. Silvana Tabares, a two-term Democrat from the Southwest Side Garfield Ridge neighborhood. She was elected in March to serve on the Democratic State Central Committee from the 3rd Congressional District, along with Madigan.

In naming the panel members, Emanuel's office said in a news release that he had tasked "the committee with narrowing eligible candidates to a small group of applicants that he will interview himself before making a final decision." But with only four people applying, the group might not have to do much winnowing.

Past Emanuel appointments drew considerably more interest. When Ald. Sandi Jackson resigned as 7th Ward alderman in January 2013, 53 people applied to finish her term.

When old-school City Council operator Richard Mell resigned from his Northwest Side seat of power in July 2013, his daughter, then-state Rep. Deb Mell, was among a dozen hopefuls to apply. Emanuel named her to succeed her father in the 33rd Ward.

And when Hyde Park Ald. Will Burns left to take a job with Airbnb in 2016, Emanuel picked Obama family friend Sophia King to follow him in the 4th Ward from among 18 candidates.

The lower interest this time may come from the feeling the fix is in. At least one prospective candidate, Paul Villarreal Jr., has said he will run for alderman in the 2019 municipal election rather than apply for the mayoral appointment given that he's certain Emanuel will name Tabares. Also in the mix are applicants named Nicholas George Dirscherl, Armando Ortiz and Charles Hughes, according to Emanuel's office.

The mayor has said he will recommend a replacement for Zalewski in time for the full City Council to consider the pick in June. (John Byrne)

What's on tap

*Mayor Emanuel has two public events in New York.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner will speak at a service for the Illinois Correctional Employees' Memorial Association.

*The Illinois House and Senate are in session. Loyola University's Sister Jean (and some players) will be at the Capitol for lawmakers to honor the basketball team's NCAA tournament run.

From the notebook

*Civic Federation rejects Rauner budget: Illinois' dismal financial footing, while improved from last year, remains on shaky ground thanks to "staggering" public pension debt and a backlog of unpaid bills, according to a new report from the Civic Federation's Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability.

The Civic Federation's analysis rejected Gov. Rauner's proposed budget, calling it "precariously balanced" and based on overly aggressive financial projections. The report also cautioned state lawmakers against repeating the political stalemate that left Illinois without a budget for more than two years.

"Given recent history, the renewal of political stalemate could be the gravest threat facing the state. The current year's budget was enacted by the General Assembly over the governor's veto, and recent Illinois bond documents have warned potential investors that there is no assurance that budgets will be enacted in future years," the report said.

Rauner met with legislative leaders Tuesday to discuss the budget, which they're aiming to approve before the end of the month.

The Civic Federation said it would not support Rauner's proposed spending plan because, among other things, it's based on a $351 million surplus that hinges on "aggressive assumptions totaling $1.8 billion in savings or additional revenues," the report said.

There are some parts of Rauner's plan the group supports, but it does not endorse shifting suburban and Downstate teachers' pension costs to local school districts.

"Illinois residents were able to breathe a short sigh of relief following the end of the unprecedented impasse but the state is far from fiscal stability," Civic Federation President Laurence Msall said in a news release.

*Quick spins: Democratic candidates will appear ahead of Republicans on the November ballot in Cook County after County Clerk David Orr announced the results of a Tuesday lottery. ... Democrat Lauren Underwood is being backed by the gun control group founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in her race against Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren in the west suburban 14th Congressional District.

What we're writing

*Lightfoot on Emanuel challenge: She'll be progressive candidate who makes City Hall serve everyone.

*Rauner, Democrats say they don't want another budget war but face deficit despite tax hike.

*Top Emanuel donor, confidant Michael Sacks hires key labor ally Jorge Ramirez.

*Emanuel responds to "bully" characterization, says he will focus on problem-solving, not personalities.

*"We want to make our voices heard:" Women battle FDA over contraceptive device they say made them sick.

*Lincoln Towing "unfit" to hold license, state regulator says.

*EPA discovers another lead-contaminated neighborhood near East Chicago.

What we're reading

*Reputed gang member charged in Friday shooting of ATF agent.

*Western Illinois coroner to poor: Pay $1,000 or county keeps loved ones' remains.

*Revolution Brewing to host first Italian Beef Fest on May 26.