Lightfoot promises to 'blow up all the old concepts' as she remakes City Council

Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot vowed Wednesday to "blow up all the old concepts about using city government to profit oneself" - and give a starring role in that break-up to 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack.

Lightfoot refused to confirm reports she has chosen Waguespack to serve as chairman of the city council's finance committee, 44th Warde Alderman Tom Tunney as budget committee chairman and 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell to chair the zoning committee.

Conversations were fluid and "things could certainly shift," she said.

But she made it clear Waguespack would be batting clean-up in her lineup of committee chairmen. He's "able, smart" and "the kind of person that we want as a public servant," she said, and that's not all.

"He's the only one of the aldermen who actually supported me before Feb. 26 and I'm not going to forget that," Lightfoot told the Sun-Times Wednesday.

"It is worth something because he showed courage. He got a huge amount of pressure and blowback - not only from aldermanic colleagues, but also from powerful union interests. But he stood up and did what he thought was right and, of course, I'm always going to be grateful for his loyalty."

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