Jun 30, 2009 6:25 pm US/Central
Aldermen Want Independent Auditing Team For 2016
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Ald. Manny Flores and other aldermen support an ordinance that would cap the city's financial commitment at a half billion dollars for the 2016 Games.
CBS
Some Chicago aldermen don't trust what they're hearing from the mayor and the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee. As CBS 2's Jim Williams reports they're looking for answers in what they see as a haze of confusion.
As Mayor Daley tries to convince the International Olympic Committee to pick Chicago to host the 2016 Games with glossy presentations, he's facing
increasing challenges on the home front in City Council.
"It is critically important that we pursue the bid in a financially responsible manner and also in a manner where we provide full transparency for the city of Chicago, and fully vetting and evaluating the merits of the Games," Ald. Manny Flores said.
Several aldermen are essentially saying they don't completely trust what the mayor and the 2016 committee are telling them, so they want an independent auditing team to comb through Chicago's bid to look for the possibility of cost overruns.
"The Olympics are going to lose a lot of support in the City Council," Ald. Joe Moore said. "They certainly will lose my support unless I have the assurance that this will not end up in huge cost overruns."
Skeptical aldermen are supporting an ordinance that would cap the city's financial commitment at a half billion dollars.
"That's what the residents of the city want," Ald. Flores said. "They want the assurance they're not going to be put on the hook long term."
"Until we have our feet firmly on the ground in terms of the city's finances, we should not be guaranteeing more debt for this city," Ald. Sandi Jackson said.
These calls come after the
mayor last week indicated the city would take full responsibility for financial losses if Chicago is selected to host the Olympic Games.
Today, Mayor Daley insisted he signed no such agreement.
"I signed nothing," Mayor Daley said. "Please. I signed nothing."
Some of the aldermen have another demand in their call for transparency: public hearings all over the city on the Olympic bid.
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