The city of Chicago is located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois State of United States of America. Basically, the government of the city is divided into two branches. One is the executive branch and another is the legislative branch. The Mayor is the chief executive and the City Council is the legislative body, which is elected from fifty wards. In this particular article, we will discuss all the aspects of the Chicago Political Hierarchy.
The Mayor’s Office
The Mayor is considered as the head of the city and is responsible for the regular administrative tasks of the city. The various job responsibilities of a Mayor are as follows:
- Appointing various positions for the advisory committees.
- Promoting the beautification of the city and the cultural affairs of the city.
- Recruiting and retraining new businesses for the city.
- Working with the administrators and the city officials to meet a budget that complies with the given parameters of the city’s income.
- Ensuring that the funds are distributed and utilized in a proper and legal way.
Office of the City Treasurer
The Office of the City Treasurer is composed of three divisions as follows:
- Financial Reporting Division: This division is responsible for the regular accounting and financial reporting functions. The division manages the banking relationships, establishes bank accounts, reconciles the bank statements and keeps the record of the daily cash receipts.
- Portfolio Management Division: Under the recommendation of the City Treasurer, this division is responsible for investing all funds, in accordance with the cash flow demands. The division also manages the office administration tasks and tasks related to information technology.
- Economic Development Division: This division is responsible for developing and implementing the various programs for promoting the economic growth of the city.
Office of the City Clerk
The City Clerk is one of the three city wide elected positions, the other two being the Mayor and the Treasurer. The various job responsibilities of a City Clerk are as follows:
- Keeping records for the municipality as prescribed by law.
- Making and keeping official records, accessible to city residents.
- Offering policies and opinions in the system of checks and balances.
- Selling residential zone parking permits.
- Accepting passport applications.
City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the political hierarchy. The legislative powers of the City Council are granted by the state legislature and the provisions of the state constitution. The various functions undertaken by the City Council are as follows:
- Voting on the proposed loans, bond issues, land acquisitions and sales, traffic control issues and financial issues.
- Reviewing the proposed ordinances and orders before being voted by the full Council.
- Regulating the protection of public health and safety.
Ward
In accordance with the Chicago political hierarchy, the city is divided into fifty legislative wards or districts.
Alderman
Each and every district of the city of Chicago is represented by an alderman. The Alderman is elected by their specific district constituency and serves a four year term. The Alderman manages all the issues of the specific ward residents.
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