Debra Silverstein

Alderperson, Ward 50, Chicago City Council

Chairs the Committee on License and Consumer Protection; asked 11 questions at the 10 meetings where we identified them.

11 of 19transcribed meetings with their voice identified

1.4min a meeting at the City Council, at least

11questions at the Committee on License and Consumer Protection

18 of 20present at roll calls, from the clerk

Chairs the Committee on License and Consumer Protection; sits on 3 more committees

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

Five clips, newest first

CasinoDebra SilversteinChair · Committee on License and Consumer Protection · Sep 9, 2026 · 1:01:09Has Bally’s formally alleged that the City of Chicago is in breach of the host community agreement?Open the meeting at 1:01:09

ICE and immigration enforcement“ICE’s policies have caused real pain and devastation for many families in Chicago, and our focus should be on protecting and advocating for immigrants in our communities who have been harmed by these policies.”Debra SilversteinAlderperson · City Council · May 20, 2026 · 4:06:06 “So we report an abandoned vehicle you come out and put the 7-day notice up, and at that same time you, you send out a notice for a hearing?”Debra SilversteinMember · Committee on Finance · Dec 4, 2025 · 1:51:19 “And I find it very frustrating that you say that here you are trying to implement our budget and we’re seeing nothing. So, um, could you explain that?”Debra SilversteinMember · Committee on Budget and Government Operations · Jul 16, 2026 · 1:43:46 “Could you tell us what the police are doing to keep these communities and all the vulnerable communities safe?”Debra SilversteinMember · Committee on Budget and Government Operations · Nov 5, 2025 · 1:49:34

Officials only. Public speakers are counted, never named.

Issues Silverstein raised, by number of meetings

ICE and immigration enforcement1 meeting
Casino1 meeting

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

Every roll call, and Silverstein’s other bodies

Present at 18 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 2. 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 Budget and Government Operations: 0.3 min of speech a meeting, range 0.1–0.9. In the same range as 27 other members.
Committee on Public Safety: 0.3 min of speech a meeting, range 0.1–0.7. In the same range as 15 other members.
Committee on License and Consumer Protection: talk time not compared. Presides over its meetings, so isn’t compared with the members.
Committee on Finance: talk time not compared. We could name only 21% of the speech they may have given; we compare members at 30%.
Committee on License and Consumer Protection: present at 10 of 10 roll calls. Official roll call, from the clerk
Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation: present at 1 of 2 roll calls. Official roll call, from the clerk

Questions

Silverstein asked 11 questions at the 10 Committee on License and Consumer Protection meetings where we identified them

At least this many: direct questions only.

On what date did Bally’s decide to alter the construction schedule, and when was the City of Chicago notified of that decision?Committee on License and Consumer Protection · Sep 9, 2026 · Play at 58:51

Of Silverstein’s 6 questions to city departments at the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, 4 went to police.

Who they question: 10 questions to a department, 3 bodies · Oct 24, 2025 – Oct 9, 2026.

Committee on Budget and Government Operations6 questions to city departments

Committee on Budget and Government Operations: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Police		467%
Budget, finance and controller		117%
Economic development, business and licensing		117%

Committee on Finance3 questions to city departments

Committee on Finance: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Public works, streets and sanitation		3

Committee on License and Consumer Protection1 question to a city department

Committee on License and Consumer Protection: questions by department
Department	Share	Questions
Budget, finance and controller		1

Meetings

Every meeting where we identified Silverstein’s voice

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

Oct 7, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection15.6 min13:25
Sep 23, 2026City Council2.4 min4:39:02
Sep 9, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection21.4 min16:15
Jul 16, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations1.6 min1:42:57
Jul 15, 2026City Council0.9 min4:01:05
Jul 9, 2026Committee on Public Safety0.8 min1:44:16
Jul 8, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection7.7 min3:55
Jun 17, 2026City Council2.9 min3:11:08
Jun 9, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection7.1 min5:15
May 20, 2026City Council6.6 min1:42:53

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May 5, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection10.3 min15:30
Apr 15, 2026City Council2.9 min1:54:36
Apr 13, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection12.6 min17:51
Mar 18, 2026City Council1.2 min3:46:50
Mar 12, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection11.5 min14:18
Feb 18, 2026City Council0.2 min3:25:42
Feb 10, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection3.9 min14:34
Feb 3, 2026Committee on Public Safety1.5 min44:01
Jan 21, 2026City Council6.1 min1:02:30
Jan 15, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations0.6 min32:17
Jan 13, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection6.5 min10:18
Dec 22, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations0.1 min6:00
Dec 19, 2025City Council0.1 min1:55:07
Dec 16, 2025City Council0.3 min1:20:12
Dec 10, 2025City Council2.2 min1:30:01
Dec 4, 2025Committee on Finance1.3 min1:51:12
Dec 3, 2025Committee on License and Consumer Protection7.9 min11:49
Nov 12, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations0.2 min2:32:34
Nov 10, 2025Committee on Public Safety0.5 min1:04:31
Nov 5, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations2.3 min1:49:09
Nov 4, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations1.5 min1:14:14

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 Silverstein’s voice at 31 meetings across five bodies. A meeting missing here means we couldn’t attribute the voice, not that Silverstein was absent. Claude and Gemini each read every transcript with that day’s roster. A voice gets Debra Silverstein’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 Silverstein 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 Silverstein or of Chicago alone.