Chicago Tribune: Cost of ward projects going up

[Tweed]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0502050225feb05,1,4350368.story?coll=chi-newslocal-hed

"Aldermen complained Friday that Mayor Richard Daley's administration is chipping away at their ability to improve neighborhoods, effectively cutting the budget for such projects by more than one-third.

Each of Chicago's 50 aldermen is given a $1.2 million pot to spend on things like repaving residential streets, installing new left-turn arrows and painting light poles. But officials recently informed aldermen that they would begin charging more against each ward's "Neighborhoods Alive" budget for each pork project.

Ald. Thomas Murphy (18th) said the changes will mean it will cost about 35 percent more to get neighborhood projects done. "Less work will be done in every neighborhood, no question about it," he said.

For instance, it will now cost $40,000 against an alderman's budget to replace a block of curbs and gutters, compared to $28,500 last year."