Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) is quoted in this article about how certain items in the "Aldermanic menu". With this menu Aldermen are given funds to take home to their wards for certain projects such as repaving streets, constructing curbs or gutters, new streetlights, etc.
“It will hurt the aldermen in that we can’t do as much,” Ald. Howard Brookins (21st Ward) said.
Despite annual budget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Daley has continued to allocate $66 million a year for the aldermanic menu program. Every spring, council members have cherished the chance to tour their wards and decide where to direct city dollars for improvements.
Many aldermen protested in vain when the Daley administration hiked menu prices dramatically in 2005, the first such move in five years.
Until then, a block of new curbs and gutters resulted in a charge of $28,500. That figure rose to $40,000 in 2005, and by last year, the price was $59,500. Another increase this year will bring the cost to $62,500, city documents show.
Brookins said areas like his South Side ward are more deeply hurt by the price increases than geographically smaller wards that are more densely populated. Each ward receives the same amount — $1.32 million — but larger wards have more streets and alleys.
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