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In super-rare move, two aldermen sponsored tax break resolutions worth millions for Burke’s clients

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Illinois

* BGA…

In a sharp break with City Hall convention, two Chicago aldermen fronted measures for now-indicted Ald. Edward Burke that steered millions of dollars in property tax breaks for Burke’s law clients in his Southwest Side ward.

The half-dozen measures found by the Better Government Association allowed Burke to skirt city conflict-of-interest rules. And some of the resulting tax break measures came even as federal agents quietly built their abuse-of-power case against him, the longest-sitting alderman in Chicago history.

In two instances, Burke’s name and ward number were scratched off official city resolutions and the other aldermen’s names and ward numbers were penciled in as sponsors of the measures.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, and Ald. Michael R. Zalewski, who represented the 23rd Ward until he retired last year, sponsored the six tax break resolutions since 2011. The measures were for industrial businesses in Burke’s 14th Ward whose owners also were clients of Burke’s property tax law firm, Klafter & Burke.

Aldermen rarely sponsor resolutions that don’t involve their own wards, especially tax breaks for businesses. Of the 123 industrial tax incentive resolutions filed since 2011, all of them were sponsored by the local alderman except the ones identified by the BGA in Burke’s ward.

Go read the rest. Good stuff in there.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 9:24 am

Comments

If certain Aldermen took official action as Aldermen to benefit Alderman Ed Burke’s private legal business and received compensation that was picked up on a wire: certain Aldermen could be in legal trouble. These are if statements …

Comment by Steve Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 9:32 am
I’m sure there is perfectly good, ethical reason for this. /s

Comment by Bruce (no not him) Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 9:46 am
Who would expect this from Patrick Daley Thompson?

Comment by Rich Hill Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 9:59 am
What’s interesting is Thompson and Zalewski have had personal financial problems.

Comment by Steve Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 10:11 am
My guess is the BGA didn’t come across this on their own. Drip, drip.

Comment by Rutro Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 10:25 am
(1) Did the BGA look at the merits of the underlying tax break requests? If the client has a legit request but the alderman is conflicted out, how is the client to get justice?
(2) This may be an argument for some of Lightfoot’s prerogative reform. Instead of sending all of this stuff to the council for a full up and down vote, having an administrative process handle it more impartially may mean that clients don’t need to look for other sponsors. Assuming people trust the impartiality of the administrative process.

Comment by DIstant watcher Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 11:52 am
Nothing good about this…it’s all bad.

Comment by OOO Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 1:27 pm
I cannot believe anything we concern ourselves with in our lives matters.
All the time spent taking into consideration the several things that we experience just about
every working day is normally really important, as no
other woman will encounter your life for any of us.
Personally I think that men and women have to
be more sane. Knowledge is fantastic, however, a lot of anything you
think about is so abstract. Having a cup of coffee is a zen activity that brings one back to the present instant.
We must be more in the here and now, without being confused by our lifestyle and the crises we deal
with every day. http://behealthyforlife.org/

Comment by Alternative Health Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 2:11 pm
The mayor did have this right: Zoning & Planning control as an alderman perk MUST go. It’s the fuel for the ethical bonfire…

Comment by Fav Human Friday, Sep 13, 19 @ 2:28 pm

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