Ald. Edward Burke shops for cowboy hats on his smartphone during the mayor's budget address Tuesday. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Ted Cox

CITY HALL — While the mayor was rallying support for the largest property-tax increase in city history Tuesday, one of the most powerful aldermen in the Council Chamber had something else on his mind — like what to slap on his head, pardner.

Ald. Edward Burke (14th), the City Council's senior alderman and chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, was captured looking at cowboy hats on his smartphone during Mayor Rahm Emanuel's speech. A person sitting in the upstairs gallery for the invitation-only event took a picture of the alderman at work and sent it to DNAinfo Chicago.

Burke is seen looking at what appears to be a stylish Stetson that wouldn't be out of place on a character in the old '60s TV series "The Wild, Wild West." An old-school politician and natty dresser, Burke is devoted to hats in all seasons.

Ald. Edward Burke sports a straw hat for the memorial service marking the 100th anniversary of the Eastland disaster earlier this summer. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Ted Cox

Burke did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he's planning to round up support for the mayor's $588 million hike in property taxes.

Git along, lil council dogies!

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