From the Tribune:

City budget vote all but a love fest
A few grumble, but not 1 alderman says nay

By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 16, 2006

Mayor Richard Daley set the table Wednesday for an expected run for re-election, winning City Council passage of a no-tax-increase 2007 budget designed to please voters.

The $5.7 billion spending plan was approved in a unanimous vote that was accompanied by a chorus of praise from aldermen. But a few City Council members irritated the mayor by interrupting the love fest with criticism of City Hall corruption and the Daley administration's minority contracting record.


Aided by a reviving economy and rising sales, income, hotel and other tax revenues, the budget includes increased funding for a number of human service programs.

The student program After School Matters, for example, got an increase of $5.5 million to serve an additional 5,000 teens. Additional money also was included for programs to help ex-offenders find jobs, job training for homeless people, and summer youth employment.

Companies that hire qualified unemployed people will earn credits on the city's head tax of up to $400 per person they put on the payroll.

After the vote, Daley thanked the council for its approval.

"This budget will keep Chicago moving forward," he said. It "helps people who need help the most without raising taxes."

Daley has not announced his candidacy but is expected to seek a sixth term in February's citywide election.

Aldermen also have their eyes on February.

"A lot of us were concerned because we are right at the eve of election time," Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) told Daley. "We were concerned with these hard decisions you have to make. I want to thank you for being creative and helping us come up with creative ways to help us balance this budget ..."

"I think people of the city of Chicago should be very happy this year with what we have done," said Ald. Madeline Haithcock (2nd).

Other aldermen praised Daley for increasing funding for HIV prevention, freeing funds to hire more police officers, promoting economic development and increasing the stock of affordable housing.

But in his comments, Ald. Ed Smith (28th) assailed City Hall corruption, saying there was "no line item" in the budget for wrongdoing in the scandal-plagued Hired Truck Program, timesheet scams or criminal activity.

"We have cheats, connivers and crooks who want to rip off this budget," he said. "There are some people out there who seem to be bent on doing the wrong thing, and it makes us all look bad."

"Thank you," said Daley, clearly peeved. "Make sure you meet the inspector general. I will have him in your office tomorrow morning. Thank you. We'll make sure he'll be in your office. Thank you."

The inspector general investigates allegations of wrongdoing.

Later when asked by reporters about his remarks, Daley said, "I was just kidding."

Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th) won mock applause from Daley after delivering a speech in which she criticized inequities between African-Americans and whites as well as city jobs given to members of the pro-Daley Hispanic Democratic Organization.

And Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) blasted the 9 percent share of city contracting awarded to black companies.

"It seems problematic at best and damning at worst we haven't done better for African-Americans," Preckwinkle said. "Since I believe this is a can-do administration and that things are accomplished when there is a will behind it and a commitment to it, I can only conclude that both are absent in this instance. And that is very disturbing to me."

But none of the three who voiced their concerns voted against the budget.

Also on Wednesday, the council approved the appointment of Stephanie Neely as city treasurer to fill the term of Judy Rice, who has resigned. Neely plans to run for a full term in February.

Aldermen also approved creation of a special economic development zone centered on the LaSalle Street financial district.

In other action, the council approved a measure that will allow real estate agents and home health care providers to pay $300 for a sticker that will allow them to park in resident-only parking areas between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.

The "Super Sticker" program will end on March 1, 2008, unless the council votes to extend it.

Aldermen honored three colleagues, all of whom will resign soon. Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) won the Cook County Board presidency in the Nov. 7 election. Ald. William Beavers (7th), whom Stroger called "my offensive tackle," was elected to the County Board, where he will be a key Stroger ally. And Ald. Thomas Murphy (18th), was elected a Cook County Circuit judge.

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