Proposal would cut pay for Chicago politicians to fund coronavirus response

One Chicago alderman is calling for the city’s 53 elected officials to forfeit their six-figure salaries for 15 days.

One elected official is calling for all 50 Chicago aldermen, as well as the mayor, city clerk and city treasurer, to forgo their paychecks for 15 days, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th Ward, said the move would generate nearly $375,000 to purchase protective gear and other supplies for first responders to address the spread of COVID-19.

“It would show the city that the elected officials … are willing to make a sacrifice to help put as much money into the kitty as possible to get the resources on the street that people need,” Lopez told the Sun-Times.

The average Chicago alderman takes home $115,442 per year, according to the Center for Illinois Politics.

The mayor of Chicago makes $216,210 a year, while both the city clerk and city treasurer take home annual salaries of $133,545 each, according to city payrolls.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as a candidate suggested consolidating or even abolishing the offices of the city clerk and city treasurer.

“Do we need a separate treasurer’s office when, in the executive branch, we’re going to have a CFO, a controller, a budget office?” Lightfoot asked in an interview with WBEZ.

The mayor appears to have put those plans on hold for now.