Aldermen angry hiring monitor's role keeps growing

Aldermen angry hiring monitor's role keeps gr
(http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/115292,CST-NWS-shakman29.article)
October 29, 2006 Chicago Sun-Times
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Chicago aldermen raised the roof Friday about the ever-expanding role of a federal hiring monitor -- and the $1.25 million in legal fees paid to Noelle Brennan so far was the least of their concerns.

"You've got every commissioner in this building telling aldermen at different times, 'I can't talk to you about anything related to personnel matters. If I do, I've got to write a letter to the monitor,'" said Police Committee Chairman Isaac Carothers (29th).

"There are a lot of people today who say, 'I can't volunteer in politics anymore because I signed this'" sworn affidavit saying political connections played no role in the hiring process.

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) complained that Brennan's "carte blanche" role has "expanded as she sees fit" because it's a "fantastic billing opportunity" with "no controls" -- and no end in sight.

Lack of Hispanic lawyers hitTestifying Friday on the final day of City Council budget hearings, Corporation Counsel Mara Georges disclosed that Brennan and her associates have billed Chicago taxpayers for $1.25 million. Georges also revealed that Brennan's role has expanded.

"They argued successfully that, in order to assess the city's overall hiring process, they had to look, not only at Shakman-covered positions, but also at [roughly 1,000] Shakman-exempt positions -- that the two were so closely tied into each other, they couldn't get an overall picture without looking at both," Georges said.

Pressed on when city hiring would be monitor-free, Georges said, "They are working with us to come up with a new hiring plan. That is something that is in its early stages. We're working toward that goal."

Brennan could not be reached for comment. She was appointed to oversee city hiring in August 2005 by a federal judge furious with City Hall for making a mockery of the decree that was supposed to end political hiring.

Eleven months later, Mayor Daley's former patronage chief and three others were convicted of rigging city hiring and promotions in favor of pro-Daley armies of political workers.

Earlier this year, the City Council agreed to intervene in the Shakman case after accusing Brennan of overstepping her bounds.

The hiring monitor wasn't the only point of contention at Friday's hearing.
Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) was livid that only 12 of the Law Department's 278 attorneys -- 4.3 percent -- are Hispanic -- and 34 attorneys or 12 percent are black.

Georges insisted that the city is "very aggressive" in its effort to recruit minorities. But, she said, "Unfortunately for us, minorities in the law are very sought-after commodities. We are competing against law firms where a minority attorney can make triple or quadruple what he or she can make with us."

fspielman@suntimes.com