Legal questions raised by mayoralty meetings

A series of private meetings have marked the wrangling over themayor's job, with the latest held Tuesday night in a closed sessionin a room behind City Council chambers.

The question of whether such meetings violate the Illinois OpenMeetings Act was raised by the Better Government Association, whichfiled suit in Cook County Circuit Court to block a Council vote onacting mayor.

About 27 aldermen met in the closed session Tuesday, hours afterthe association went to court contending other meetings violated theletter and spirit of the law, passed to prevent elected officialsfrom conducting government business in private.

The suit, filed against all 50 aldermen, seeks a court order toprevent any vote for an acting mayor "based upon deliberations heldin secret."

The law states that, except for certain exceptions, it is illegalfor "a majority of the quorum" to meet. For the 50-member CityCouncil, that means 14 members.

The intent of the law spelled out in the statute is to ensurethat the "people's business" must "be taken openly and that (publicbodies') deliberations be conducted openly." The Better Government Association did not succeed Tuesday ingetting an emergency order barring the Council meeting. A hearing onthe lawsuit is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. today.

Ald. Edwin Eisendrath (43rd), who was at some of thecontroversial meetings, was subpoenaed by the association but said"they would have to come take me" before he would go to court.

The Cook County state's attorney is charged with enforcing theOpen Meetings Act. Spokesman Terry Levin said no official complaintshave been lodged with the office.

More than 14 black aldermen met Friday night in the presidentialcampaign headquarters of Democratic candidate Jesse Jackson at 30 W.Washington to discuss succession matters.

The next day, more than 14 white aldermen met at the NorthwestSide home of Ald. Joseph S. Kotlarz Jr. (35th) to talk about themayoralty.

Sunday, 16 aldermen caucused in the headquarters of Ald. KathyOsterman, 5457 N. Broadway. Later that day, 22 met again atKotlarz's home.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, aldermen brushed asidesuggestions of law violations.

However, on Saturday and Sunday, aldermen said they thought theywere getting around the law by sending other aldermen to adjacentrooms to keep the group under 14.