The Better Government Association is nearly a century old, and in that time we have fought against Al Capone’s control of City Hall, purchased a tavern to expose corrupt safety inspectors, conducted hundreds of other investigations and battled for more open and accountable government.
Hundreds of people have served on the BGA board over the years, and for the first time, a BGA board alumna will become Mayor of the City of Chicago. Lori Lightfoot served from December 2013 to July 2015, when she resigned to serve on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Police Accountability Task Force.
As a board member, Lightfoot helped the BGA pursue its mission of transparent, efficient and accountable government. She has emphasized these values during her mayoral campaign and since Election Day.
The BGA intends to hold Chicago’s new mayor and her administration accountable for upholding these core standards of good government. We have covered her without fear or favor to this point and will do so going forward.
The BGA’s policy team operates independent from our investigative unit, advocating for open records and government accountability. The leader of our policy team and our general counsel are serving on a mayoral transition committee, along with dozens of other good-government advocates. In those meetings, and going forward, our policy team objectively and persistently will pursue the BGA’s mission—again, without fear or favor.
The Mayor-elect advocated for transparent, efficient and accountable government as a member of the BGA board. We thank her for that service and call on her to continue the fight from the fifth floor of City Hall.
