Chicago stands at a pivotal moment in time, between the bold accomplishments of our past and the urgency of fulfilling our potential. And yet our local government’s inability to solve big problems or plan for a resilient future has become impossible to ignore. We are not powerless bystanders. We have agency and resources, and at this moment there is a window of opportunity to assert our right to effective government. Now is our chance to step toward our best possibilities.

 

Source: Steven Vance

 

Chicagoans have acquiesced to government malpractice for generations, and we’ve come to accept it as the natural order of things. Rather than trying to single out any one leader, past or present, the main culprit is a governing structure that has been in place since before the fire of 1871. As the only major U.S. city without a city charter, we lack a central framework outlining structures, power, and responsibilities. It's as if we built our house without a blueprint, made lots of changes over time, and now we have structural deficiencies that are detrimental to our finances, our safety, our quality of life, and our future.  

 

Rethinking our governing blueprint for the modern era is indeed a very big thing and will entail working through big questions. Could we have a city council focused on finance and policy instead of administering city services? Could we change the timing of elections to boost voter turnout? Could we be less fragmented if some council members were elected to represent affinity groups and some to represent geographic areas? Could we incorporate more deliberative democracy into our community engagement? Could city council have a bigger role in appointing agency/department (CTA, CHA, CPD, etc.) leadership? This is our chance to discuss, deliberate, and take action.

 

We don’t just need any city charter, we need an excellent city charter that raises the voices of the most vulnerable and engages all Chicagoans in meaningful problem solving and action. We believe that Chicago can do this if, and only if, we commit to a process that is open, inclusive, and not controlled by elected officials or any special interests. 

 

We recognize that a city charter doesn’t directly solve our problems, but it does give us greater ability to deal with them. It is imperative for us to adapt so that our local government focuses on meeting the current and future needs of residents with:

  • increased housing supply and affordability 
  • decreased car dependency 
  • stabilized property taxes and long-term fiscal health
  • fast and reliable public transit services
  • effective crime reduction strategies and safer communities
  • improved environment for business investments and job creation
  • high levels of trust and civic participation

 

We will not wait for the establishment to decide our fate as a city. We cannot wait for a white knight, a future election cycle when the world doesn’t seem so chaotic, or the crumbs of piecemeal change. We will work, not through advocacy, but through electoral pressure, to achieve the systemic change that our city needs. We will pool our collective resources and work in our communities to educate, organize, and bootstrap a new kind of politics in Chicago. 

 

Achieving systemic change will require an engaged and informed public as well as a transparent process. To that end, we must keep our roadmap of milestones front and center:    

  • State legislation to authorize charter (Spring 2026)

            - Formation of Independent Commission spelled out

  • Independent Commission (Summer 2026–Fall 2027)

            - Led by trusted Chicagoans and outside experts

  • Feedback and revisions (Fall 2027–2028)

            - Community input used to revise charter draft

  • Voter referendum (November 2028)

            - Voters would approve or disapprove of final charter language 

 

We believe in improving our system of government so that it may serve as a greater force for good for all Chicagoans. Modernizing our governance could be our civic moonshot and would change the trajectory of our city. Chicagoans deserve a government that’s worthy of our potential; we urge you to join us in making that a reality.