Mayor Rahm Emanuel today presided over his first City Council meeting, calling for a renewed partnership with the Council in tackling the challenges facing Chicago.

“The serious challenges ahead cannot be overcome by one alderman, one committee or one Mayor,” Mayor Emanuel said to Council members. “All of us have a role to play in securing Chicago’s future.  So join me in partnership as we bring change to City Hall and results to the people of Chicago.”

On Monday, as his first action in office, the Mayor signed six Executive Orders strengthening the ethics rules for City employees. On Tuesday, his first full day in office, Mayor Emanuel laid out a series of concrete steps that the Administration will take to cut $75 million from this fiscal year’s budget. Today, the Mayor commended the Council for creating a new ethics rule that will revoke the floor privileges of aldermen convicted of bribery, perjury, or any other felony.

Last week, the Mayor announced the reorganization of the City Council. By decreasing the number of City Council committees from 19 to 16, the City Council’s cost to taxpayers is cut by more than 10%. The new committee leaders reflect the diversity of Chicagoans across the city and will help the City Council implement reforms to keep Chicago moving forward.

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