Emanuel wants to halve Chi city council

CHICAGO, March 25 (UPI) -- Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's mayor elect, says the city might do better with a leaner City Council and has suggested cutting the number of aldermen from 50 to 25.

The nation's third largest city is second only to New York when it comes to the size of its City Council -- New York has 51 councilmen. Other cities in its weight class get by with much smaller governing bodies.

Several aldermen told the Chicago Sun-Times Emanuel brought up the idea in private meetings. One said he was so surprised he could not respond: "I just sat there. I didn't say a word."

The council is expensive, costing taxpayers $19.4 million for its members and $4.7 million more for standing committees. But any change would have to come either from the state legislature or by referendum.

Reformers like Emanuel's thinking.

"Why do so many other major cities operate with so many fewer council members? Los Angeles, larger in population and area, operates with only 15. Houston has 14. Philadelphia has 17," said Laurence Msall, head of the Civic Federation.

"It's always politically difficult to change the status quo, but it doesn't mean it should be avoided. We're facing enormous financial challenges and questions of how we can continue to finance this government. There has to be shared sacrifice by all the stakeholders: citizens, city employees and aldermen."