15 Chicago aldermen have turned down inflation-tied pay raises nearing 10% as election looms

Election year fears about voter anger haven’t stopped most members of Chicago’s City Council from giving themselves historically huge 2023 pay raises.

With inflation running rampant and aldermen’s annual salaries tied to the consumer price index, those who accept it will get a 9.6% increase next year.

So far, just 15 out of the 50 have told the city they don’t want the raises, a step they must take to stop the yearly raises from taking effect.

The preliminary results of the latest round of will-they-or-won’t-they indicates 25 aldermen will maintain the highest possible salaries on the council, which will be $142,772 starting Jan. 1, when the $12,500 raises kick in for them.

Another five are set to be within about $2,000 of the top, after they turned down a smaller raise in a prior year but so far have not passed on the big 2023 increase.

These results may not be final, however. The city Finance Department requested aldermen let them know by Sept. 2 if they didn’t want the pay bump. But statute gives council members until Sept. 15 to officially decide, and aldermen have in past years even turned down the raise after that deadline. So more may still conclude they don’t want to give political opponents the opportunity to highlight their pay hikes as constituents are about to head to the polls.

According to the city, aldermen who’ve so far said they won’t take the raises are Daniel La Spata, 1st; Brian Hopkins, 2nd; Nicole Lee, 11th; Marty Quinn, 13th; Raymond Lopez, 15th; Matt O’Shea, 19th; Silvana Tabares, 23rd; Felix Cardona, 31st; Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th; Gilbert Villegas, 36th; Anthony Napolitano, 41st; Brendan Reilly, 42nd; Tom Tunney, 44th; Matt Martin, 47th; and Maria Hadden, 49th.

Veteran Northwest Side Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th, said inflation is hitting aldermen hard too, and he’ll take the increase.

“Every other average citizen, or working persons, have experienced the effects of high inflation in our city and throughout the nation,” Maldonado said. “I mean, everybody is entitled to a salary increase and given the opportunity, I will not deny that to my family and to my children.”

And Southwest Side Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd, said he’ll use the money from the raise “to donate more to local violence prevention and Covid efforts.”

Rodriguez will move up to $142,772, Maldonado to about $139,964.

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Two sitting aldermen are facing criminal charges in federal court, and neither has so far opted out of the 2023 raise.

Southwest Side Ald. Edward Burke’s salary would increase to $131,991. Burke, 14th, the longest serving alderman, is awaiting trial on sweeping federal racketeering charges.

Far South Side Ald. Carrie Austin, 34th, would see her salary go up to $142,772 if she doesn’t decide to opt out in the next few weeks. Austin faces federal bribery charges. She’s not seeking re-election next year, but will see the higher salary reflected on paychecks from January until she leaves office in May, as well as in larger pension payments after she steps down from the council.

Besides Austin, nine other current council incumbents have announced they will not seek another term, including Tunney.

Three of those are giving up their council seats to run against Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Of those three, Lopez has said he doesn’t want the raise. Ald. Sophia King, 4th, and Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, have not opted out, according to city records released Tuesday.

One council seat is currently empty since 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith stepped down last month. If Lightfoot appoints someone to replace Smith this year, that aldermen will get paychecks based on a prorated share of the top 2022 salary, $130,248. And that new aldermen’s salary would go up to the top level starting in 2023.

And Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, is the Democratic nominee for the Cook County Board of Review. He’s running uncontested, and is set to leave the City Council no later than after the November election.

Lightfoot already has appointed two new aldermen to fill vacancies this year. One of them, Lee of the 11th Ward, told the city she doesn’t want the 2023 increase. The other, Ald. Monique Scott, 24th, has so far not turned down the raise to the $142,772 salary.

Aldermen were making $98,125 in 2006, when they voted to tie their yearly salaries to the consumer price index, thereby easing the potential political blowback they faced from having to vote to give themselves raises.

Last September, just five aldermen turned down a 5.5% raise, which was at that point the biggest by percentage in over a decade. 2023′s raise will come close to doubling that percentage.

Veteran West Side Ald. Emma Mitts, 37th, said she’ll take it for 2023, keeping her at the maximum council salary: “It’s there, and I work very hard … Yes, I work very hard for it and give more than due where I’m neglecting family. So I’m definitely looking to take my raise.”