Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 2, 7, 10, 11 and 18 regarding management, structure, powers and functions of various departments and agencies (2025 Municipal Code Management Ordinance), as amended
- Record number: SO2024-0013673
- Type: Ordinance; category: Municipal Code Amendments
- Status: Final
- Sponsor: Johnson, Brandon
- Committee: Committee on Budget and Government Operations
- Introduced: Oct 30, 2024
- Final action: Dec 16, 2024
- Official record: Office of the City Clerk
Roll call: Passed Dec 16, 2024
34 yea, 16 nay. This was a divided vote. On motion of Alderperson Ervin, and unsuccessful motion to reconsider by Alderperson Mitchell, the matter was Passed. Voted at the City Council meeting of Dec 16, 2024.
Nay (16): Brian Hopkins (2), Anthony Beale (9), Peter Chico (10), Nicole T. Lee (11), Marty Quinn (13), Derrick G. Curtis (18), Matthew J. O'Shea (19), Silvana Tabares (23), Monique L. Scott (24), Felix Cardona Jr. (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Samantha Nugent (39), Anthony V. Napolitano (41), Brendan Reilly (42), James M. Gardiner (45), Debra L. Silverstein (50)
Yea (30): Daniel La Spata (1), Pat Dowell (3), Lamont J. Robinson (4), Desmon C. Yancy (5), William E. Hall (6), Gregory I. Mitchell (7), Michelle A. Harris (8), Julia M. Ramirez (12), Raymond A. Lopez (15), Stephanie D. Coleman (16), David H. Moore (17), Jeanette B. Taylor (20), Ronnie L. Mosley (21), Michael D. Rodriguez (22), Jessica L. Fuentes (26), Walter R. Burnett (27), Jason C. Ervin (28), Chris Taliaferro (29), Ruth Cruz (30), William Conway (34), Gilbert Villegas (36), Emma Mitts (37), Nicholas Sposato (38), Andre Vasquez Jr. (40), Timothy R. Knudsen (43), Bennett R. Lawson (44), Angela Clay (46), Matthew J. Martin (47), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48), Maria E. Hadden (49)
Former members who voted: Jeylu B. Gutierrez (Yea), Byron Sigcho-Lopez (Yea), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (Yea), Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (Yea)
Plain-language summary
Written by AI (@cf/openai/gpt-oss-120b) from the ordinance text only: SO2024-0013673 Management Ordinance as Amended.pdf. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.
The ordinance updates Chicago’s municipal code to change water and refuse fee rules, add many water charge exemptions, create and define the Corporation Counsel’s duties, expand the Chief Sustainability Officer’s authority, and tighten building energy benchmarking enforcement. It also sets new penalties for late payments and code violations and outlines processes for police superintendent selection and training agreements. These changes affect city agencies, property owners, seniors, nonprofits, hospitals, schools, and building occupants across Chicago.
- Senior citizens 65+ receive a 50% discount on refuse collection fees and a 1.25% monthly late-payment penalty may apply.
- Various entities-including city property, schools, colleges, certain hospitals, museums and qualifying nonprofits-are exempted from all or part of water service charges under new criteria.
- The City creates an Office of Corporation Counsel with defined powers, duties and contract-signing authority.
- The Chief Sustainability Officer now oversees environmental programs, utility franchise agreements, the opt-out electricity aggregation program, and inherits building-energy-benchmarking responsibilities.
- Building owners must benchmark energy use; violations can be fined up to $100 for the first offense and $25 per day thereafter.
Money
- $1,000,000 threshold for 100% water charge exemption for certain hospitals
- $10,000,000 threshold for 60% water charge exemption for certain hospitals
- $100 maximum fine for first building-energy-benchmarking violation
- $25 per day additional fine for ongoing violations
- 1.25% monthly late-payment penalty rate for overdue refuse fees
Who: The changes affect senior residents, property owners, city departments, nonprofits, hospitals, schools, museums, building owners and tenants, and the broader Chicago public.
Where: City of Chicago
Timeline
- Oct 30, 2024: Referred, City Council
- Dec 10, 2024: Substituted, Committee on Budget and Government Operations
- Dec 10, 2024: Recommended to Pass, Committee on Budget and Government Operations
- Dec 11, 2024: Deferred and Published, City Council
- Dec 16, 2024: Passed, City Council
- Dec 17, 2024: Signed by Mayor, City Council
Documents
- SO2024-0013673 Committee Letter.pdf (Committee Letter)
- SO2024-0013673 Management Ordinance as Amended.pdf (Legislation)
- SO2024-0013673 Management Ordinance before 12-10 Budget Meeting.pdf (Legislation)
- O2024-0013673 Original Ordinance.pdf (Legislation)
- O2024-0013673 Transmittal Letter.pdf (Miscellaneous)
- SO2024-0013673 SIGNED BY MAYOR_0657.pdf (Legislation)