Chicago City Council sessions off to slower start in 2023, BGA finds

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A recent analysis by the Better Government Association shows the Chicago City Council is off to a slower start in 2023.

According to city council recordings obtained by BGA Policy, only 40% of time in session so far this year - or about two of every five hours between the opening and closing gavels - has been spent legislating. The other 60% was spent noting significant birthdays, retirements, tributes and other non-binding resolutions.

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That is even less time spent on legislation than usual, based on BGA Policy's findings. At meetings where honorary resolutions were heard, they took up an average of 1:07:29 of floor time. The average time spent on non-honorary business was 1:51:09.

Chicago is unique among the nation's largest cities in devoting so much floor time to honorary measures, and in allowing them to take place at any time throughout the meeting.

You can read BGA Policy's complete analysis here.