There can only be one mayor at a time, mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel said at a press conference today. But between now and retiring Mayor Daley's last day three months from now, Emanuel's gearing up for the job.
Emanuel said Wednesday he's putting a transition team in place and will get involved in some of the aldermanic runoffs. He also said he would partner with City Council members to solve Chicago problems and would keep Chicagoans up to speed with monthly town halls, possibly on the web.
When reporters asked about the budget crisis, he said he wouldn't raise property taxes.
Between now and May 17, it's all about preparation, and Emanuel's ready engage.
Earlier Wednesday Emanuel greeted CTA riders, thanking them for their vote of confidence. He even hopped the 95th Street train, surprising commuters on their way to work.
Chicago voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly chose Emanuel to be their next mayor, giving Obama's former chief of staff 55 percent of the vote and enough support to avoid a runoff.
"Thank you Chicago," Emanuel said in his victory speech, pledging to work with the city council and community leaders to build a stronger Chicago. "You sure know how to make a guy feel at home. "
On Wednesday, the mayor-elect was up bright and early with a message for his new city hall team.
"The time to sharpen your resume is now," Emanuel said on WGN radio.
He spoke of plans to order a forensic audit on his first day as mayor and also mentioned aldermanic runoffs, saying, "my hand is open to anyone who wants to be a partner in reform."
