As Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot prepares to take office, she's also looking to reorganize City Council.
A source with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday that she plans to shake up the heads of three key City Council committees.
Lightfoot would like to see 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack as chair of the powerful Committee on Finance, a position that will be vacant when longtime 40th Ward Ald. Pat O'Connor, who lost his bid for re-election, leaves office. O'Connor took over as Finance chair when Ald. Ed Burke, who was re-elected in the 14th Ward in February, was forced out after being charged with corruption.
The source said Lightfoot wants Ald. Tom Tunney, of the 44th Ward, to chair the Committee on the Budget, and 3rd Ward Ald. Pat Dowell to chair the Zoning Committee.
Together these committees control not only power on City Council, but would also be tasked with shepherding her agenda of reform.
But the following day, Lightfoot refuted reports of her choices for those positions via text message, saying when asked who the chairs would be, only that "patience is a virtue."
A debate is brewing as to whether aldermen as a whole will agree with whoever Lightfoot picks to head the committees or if they will choose alternate chairs themselves.
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Lightfoot's transition team did not officially confirm that these three aldermen were her choices for the committee chairs.
