The city clerk of Chicago is in charge of record-keeping for Chicago, including for its elections, permits, licenses, and laws. When the Chicago City Council is in session, the city clerk also serves as council secretary. The clerk is a citywide elected office, and is one of three city-wide elected officials in the City of Chicago, along with the Mayor and the Treasurer.
The current city clerk is Anna Valencia.
One former city clerk is more famous for his non-political activities: The late Baseball Hall of Famer Cap Anson served one term from 1905-1907.
Duties
The city clerk's office is responsible for maintaining official city government record (such as the Municipal Code of Chicago), distributing approximately 1.3 million vehicle stickers and residential parking permits, and issuing city business licenses.
Significant City Council transparency efforts have included posting nearly 700,000 pages of searchable City Council records to the city clerk website, ChiCityClerk.com. This includes every ordinance passed since 1981, as well as city budgets and mayoral executive orders going back nearly 30 years. In addition, City Council meetings can be watched live or on demand via a City Council video archive on the city clerk's website.
List of city clerks
City clerksTerm Notes Anna Valencia 2017- Appointed in 2017, and elected in 2019. Susana Mendoza 2011-2016Elected in 2011 and 2015. Resigned in 2016 to become the Illinois Comptroller. Miguel del Valle2006-2011 Appointed in 2006, and elected in 2007. Resigned in 2011 to run for Mayor of Chicago. James Laski1995-2006 Elected in 1995, and re-elected in 1999 and 2003. Resigned in 2006 after his indictment for corruption. Ernest Wish 1993-1995Appointed in 1993, and did not seek election to a full term. Walter Kozubowski1979-1993Elected in 1979, and re-elected in 1983, 1987, and 1991. Resigned in 1993 after pleading guilty to corruption. John C. Marcin1955-1979Elected in 1955, and re-elected in 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, and 1975. In 1979, became alderperson for the 35th Ward. Ludwig D. Schreiber1939-1955Elected in 1939, and re-elected in 1943, 1947, and 1951.Peter J. Brady 1931-1937 Patrick S. Smith1927-1931 Al F. Gorman1923-1927 James T. Igoe1917-1923 Joseph Siman1917 John Siman1915-1917 Francis D. Connery1909-1915He was elected in 1909. His term may have ended in 1915. John R. McCabe1907-1909Cap Anson1905-1907 Fred C. Bender1903-1905 William Loeffler1897-1903 Charles A. Gastfield1893-1895 James R.B. Van Cleave1891-1893Franz Amberg1889-1891 D.W. Nickerson1887-1889 C. Herman Plautz1885-1887 John G. Neumeister1883-1885 Patrick J. Howard1879-1883 Caspar Butz1876-1879 Joseph K.C. Forrest1873-1875 Charles T. Hotchkiss1869-1873Albert H. Bodman1865-1869 A.J. Marble1861-1863 Abraham Kohn1860-1861 H. Kreismann1857-1860 Henry W. Zimmerman1851-1857Sidney Aboll1848-1851 Henry B. Clarke1846-1848 William S. Brown1845-1846 Edward Rucker1844-1845 James M. Lowe1843-1844 James Curtiss1842-1843 Thomas Hoyne1840-1842 William H. Brackett1839-1840George Davis 1837-1839Isaac N. Arnold1837Inaugural city clerk
Town clerks The position of city clerk was preceded by the position of town clerk, which existed after Chicago had been incorporated as a town and before Chicago was incorporated as a city. City clerksTerm Notes James Curtiss1836-1837Became Clerk in September 1836Ebenezer Peck1836Charles V. Dyer1836Resigned immediately after being elected at the June 6, 1936 town election (held at the Tremont House) Ebenezer Peck 1835Coincidingly served as the town's CounselAlexander N. Fullerton1835Elected in July 1835 town election Edwards W. Casey1834-1835Became Clerk in November 1834. Coincidingly served as Corporation Counsel.Isaac Harmon1834Elected clerk in August 11, 1834 town election. Coincidingly served as Town Collector.H. J. Hamilton 1833-1834E. S. Kimberly 1833Inaugural town clerk
References
External links Office of the City Clerk