Daniel La Spata

Alderperson, Ward 1, Chicago City Council

Chairs the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety; asked 12 questions at the six meetings where we identified them. Named Logan Square most often: four times.

8 of 19transcribed meetings with their voice identified

0.9min a meeting at the City Council, at least

48questions at the Committee on Finance

19 of 20present at roll calls, from the clerk

Chairs the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety; sits on 8 more other bodies

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Next City Council meeting: Mon, Nov 2, 10:00 am · Agenda

Seven clips, newest first

CasinoDaniel La SpataVice chair · Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity · Jan 22, 2026 · 1:21:29The slots, tables, sports, put it together, the total casino revenue projection for 2025 was $253.6 million.Open the meeting at 1:21:29

TIF districts“I would also say those photos that we put up there today, which already look terrible, those are from 4 years ago. And nothing has gotten better since then. We are at the last opportunity to make this happen. To say also, this TIF expires at the end of 2027.”Daniel La SpataMember · Committee on Finance · Jan 14, 2026 · 3:20:22 “May I ask a quick clarifying question? When you refer to a collection rate, what does that mean?”Daniel La SpataChair · Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety · Sep 15, 2026 · 36:16 “Can you share with us, like, what do you feel like is the role of a board member in building a productive and accountable relationship with the CEO?”Daniel La SpataMember · Committee on Housing and Real Estate · Oct 8, 2026 · 58:03 “Yeah, I really appreciate it. And how many buses are we looking at to have cameras affixed?”Daniel La SpataChair · Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety · Oct 9, 2026 · 2:25:41 “Hey, thank you so much, Chair. I, I will say I love the project. I love the continuing evolution of the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, the kinds of businesses that continue to open, expand, create jobs there. My, my only question was, why fund this work through a Class 6B rather than the Kinzie Industrial Corridor TIF?”Daniel La SpataMember · Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development · Jan 13, 2026 · 58:32 “I’d like to understand the percentage of turnover goal for each department so far this year, if that could be provided?”Daniel La SpataMember · Committee on Budget and Government Operations · Jul 16, 2026 · 2:08:45

Officials only. Public speakers are counted, never named.

Issues Spata raised, by number of meetings

Head tax and budget revenue5 meetings
TIF districts2 meetings
Casino1 meeting

We count who raised an issue, not which side they took.

Every roll call, and Spata’s other bodies

Present at 19 of 20 roll calls at the City Council

From the clerk’s own record. We don’t compare members on it.

PresentAbsentOldest first, 1 square per roll call

Absent 1. Nov 14, 2025 to Oct 14, 2026. The clerk’s record covers 20 of the 22 meetings we hold, through Oct 14, 2026.

Official roll call, from the clerk →

Committee on Finance: 1.9 min of speech a meeting, range 1.0–3.0. In the same range as 25 other members.
Committee on Budget and Government Operations: 1.6 min of speech a meeting, range 0.8–3.0. In the same range as 27 other members.
Committee on Housing and Real Estate: 1.4 min of speech a meeting, range 0.8–2.5. In the same range as 17 other members.
Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety: talk time not compared. Presides over its meetings, so isn’t compared with the members.
Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards: talk time not compared. On a random sample of meeting time, between 51% and 66% of members' speech here carries a name; we rank when the low end reaches 60%.
Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy: talk time not compared. Seated for only 6 meetings in 12 months.
Chicago Plan Commission: talk time not compared. On a random sample of meeting time, between 28% and 42% of members' speech here carries a name; we rank when the low end reaches 60%.
Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development: talk time not compared. On a random sample of meeting time, between 41% and 70% of members' speech here carries a name; we rank when the low end reaches 60%.
Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity: talk time not compared. Seated for only 2 meetings in 12 months.
Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development: present at 10 of 13 roll calls. Official roll call, from the clerk

What they talk about

Streets, traffic and parking took 21% of Spata’s speech with a checked topic

By the topic two AI readers agree on for each stretch of their talk, at the City Council and its committees. 140 of 228 minutes of their speech have a checked topic. How much they talk about it, not which side they take.

Streets, traffic and parking21%

Development and land use9.5%

Housing and tenants7.2%

Homelessness3.8%

Commendations, ceremonies and memorials2.0%

Taxes and fees1.0%

Questions

Spata asked 48 questions at the 12 Committee on Finance meetings where we identified them

At least this many: direct questions only.

…someone who was a part of the team putting this together— it does not have to be right now— provide examples of other municipalities that have done what is being proposed in this budget, namely the selling of debt as an asset?Committee on Finance · Dec 16, 2025 · Play at 2:34:02

Of Spata’s 36 questions to city departments at the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, 20 went to budget, finance and controller.

Who they question: 91 questions to a department, 6 bodies · Oct 24, 2025 – Oct 9, 2026.

Committee on Budget and Government Operations36 questions to city departments

Committee on Budget and Government Operations: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Budget, finance and controller		2056%
Human services, aging, youth		1028%
Police		38%
Economic development, business and licensing		26%
Administration, HR, contracts and facilities		13%

Committee on Finance24 questions to city departments

Committee on Finance: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Budget, finance and controller		1875%
City attorney / law department		313%
Planning and zoning		14%
Schools / school district		14%
Transportation and transit		14%

Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development9 questions to city departments

Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Transportation and transit		667%
Budget, finance and controller		333%

Committee on Housing and Real Estate9 questions to city departments

Committee on Housing and Real Estate: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Housing		778%
Homelessness services		222%

Neighborhoods Spata named

6 places Spata named in meetings

Lines where Spata named the place, read by two AI readers that both agree it means that place. Each dot plays the newest one; brighter means named more often.

Chicago

Logan Square 4 times
West Town 3 times, the most of any official
Lake View 2 times
Hyde Park 1 time
Loop 1 time
McKinley Park 1 time

Places are drawn at the centre of their own boundary in the city’s Boundaries - Community Areas file (City of Chicago Data Portal). A dot says the place was named, not where Spata was or what was said about it.

Meetings

Every meeting where we identified Spata’s voice

59, newest first. The date opens the meeting; the time plays the video at Spata’s first remark.

Oct 9, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety18.5 min27:26
Oct 8, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy8.8 min1:01:18
Oct 8, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate1.2 min57:07
Sep 24, 2026Committee on Finance5.9 min3:09:32
Sep 22, 2026Committee on Finance0.5 min40:38
Sep 15, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety14.9 min10:25
Sep 1, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy2.5 min52:42
Aug 20, 2026Chicago Plan Commission4.3 min1:02:27
Jul 16, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations6.8 min2:08:59
Jul 15, 2026City Council4.2 min1:50:43

Show all 59Show fewer

Jul 13, 2026Committee on Finance0.9 min3:18:25
Jul 8, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations0.7 min35:10
Jul 8, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate2.0 min52:02
Jul 7, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety5.1 min13:28
Jun 29, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate3.7 min2:27:36
Jun 25, 2026Committee on Finance2.4 min55:00
Jun 17, 2026City Council1.5 min3:47:27
Jun 10, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate1.6 min2:11:28
Jun 9, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety8.5 min39:09
Jun 4, 2026Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards2.4 min1:26:00
May 20, 2026City Council2.5 min1:49:35
May 18, 2026Committee on Finance0.2 min2:13:52
May 18, 2026Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity6.3 min43:58
May 13, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate3.6 min1:03:54
May 11, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy6.4 min36:11
May 11, 2026Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development3.8 min2:06:07
May 6, 2026Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards3.6 min59:49
Apr 15, 2026City Council0.1 min1:43:53
Feb 27, 2026Committee on Finance1.7 min1:18:11
Feb 19, 2026Chicago Plan Commission3.5 min49:57
Feb 18, 2026City Council1.8 min3:26:38
Feb 17, 2026Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards1.2 min1:35:19
Feb 11, 2026Committee on Finance4.9 min1:04:54
Feb 9, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety18.1 min13:50
Feb 9, 2026Committee on Finance4.4 min1:10:06
Feb 3, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy3.3 min37:28
Jan 22, 2026Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity4.1 min1:17:23
Jan 21, 2026City Council3.4 min1:55:43
Jan 15, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations1.3 min29:37
Jan 15, 2026Chicago Plan Commission6.2 min30:06
Jan 14, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety2.0 min4:27
Jan 14, 2026Committee on Finance2.1 min2:41:38
Jan 14, 2026Committee on Housing and Real Estate4.0 min2:49:30
Jan 13, 2026Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development1.5 min46:50
Dec 20, 2025City Council0.0 min4:03:40
Dec 17, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations2.6 min3:05:09
Dec 16, 2025Committee on Finance6.6 min2:29:14
Dec 10, 2025City Council2.8 min1:32:52
Dec 9, 2025Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards3.1 min49:58
Dec 4, 2025Committee on Finance1.2 min1:09:27
Dec 3, 2025Committee on Housing and Real Estate2.7 min1:11:29
Nov 17, 2025Committee on Finance4.2 min1:51:16
Nov 13, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.9 min2:11:10
Nov 12, 2025Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development3.1 min37:02
Nov 10, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.1 min2:53:41
Nov 5, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations2.7 min3:00:39
Nov 4, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.5 min4:53:12
Nov 3, 2025Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards7.2 min1:13:58
Oct 30, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations9.9 min1:55:10

How we identify who is speaking · blind check, pooled across five cities: of 410 council lines drawn, 352 right, 0 wrong, 1 unclear, 57 couldn’t be judged

We identified Spata’s voice at 59 meetings across 10 bodies. A meeting missing here means we couldn’t attribute the voice, not that Spata was absent. Claude and Gemini each read every transcript with that day’s roster. A voice gets Daniel La Spata’s name only when both agree and a code check finds the name said on, or just before, their turn. Voices our transcripts merge with someone else’s are never attributed, so every count here undercounts what Spata said. For councils and their committees, of 410 lines drawn, 352 were right, 0 wrong and 1 unclear, and the checkers couldn’t judge 57. We have since removed the voices behind 110 of those lines (0 wrong, 1 unclear, the rest we had already held for other reasons). Of the 300 lines we still publish, the checkers could judge 268: all 268 right (90% lower bound 0.99). They couldn’t judge the other 32. The check is one sample pooled across the five cities, not of Spata or of Chicago alone.