How to Get an Alderperson to Sponsor an Ordinance

How Chicago ordinances work

An ordinance is a law passed by Chicago City Council. Any alderperson can introduce one. Once introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which holds a hearing and votes on whether to send it to the full Council for a vote. The mayor can also introduce ordinances, but most come from individual alderpeople.

You cannot introduce an ordinance yourself. You need an alderperson to sponsor it. That means convincing one of the 50 alderpeople that your proposal is worth attaching their name to and spending political capital on.

Start with your own alderperson

Your alderperson is the most likely sponsor because you are their constituent. Find yours using the Ward Office Finder. Call their ward office and request a meeting. Do not email a cold pitch. Call and ask for a scheduled sit-down.

What to bring to the meeting

Bring a written policy proposal (see our guide on writing one). Bring evidence. Bring the names of other constituents who support it. If you have signatures or public comments, bring those too. The alderperson needs to see that this is not just your personal issue. It is a constituency issue.

Be specific about what you are asking: "We would like you to introduce an ordinance that does X." Not "We would like you to look into the problem of Y."

If your alderperson says no

Ask why. If they give a substantive objection, address it and come back. If they are not interested, approach the alderperson who chairs the relevant committee. Housing issues go through the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Zoning goes through Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards. Public safety goes through Public Safety.

Committee chairs have outsized influence because they control what gets a hearing. If the committee chair sponsors your ordinance, it will get a hearing. If they do not, it might sit in committee indefinitely.

Building support

One sponsor is the minimum. Multiple co-sponsors make an ordinance harder to ignore. After you secure a primary sponsor, ask them which colleagues might sign on. Approach those offices with a copy of the ordinance and a brief explaining the issue.

Twenty-six votes passes an ordinance. You need to get there. That is the math.