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Matthew J. Martin

Alderperson, Ward 47, Chicago City Council

Raised head tax and budget revenue at four meetings.

4 of 19transcribed meetings with their voice identified
0.6min a meeting at the City Council, at least
39questions at the Committee on Budget and Government Operations
20 of 20present at roll calls, from the clerk

Chairs the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight; sits on 6 more committees

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

Seven clips, newest first

Chicago53:38
Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety · Sep 15, 2026 · 53:38At what point would we want to see some indication of a reduction in violations across corridors, especially in the areas that are currently a part of the pilot, because I think we have consistently pitched this as not something to help chip away at the city’s budget gap, but something to, at the end of the day, change habits.Open the meeting at 53:38
Inspector general“Seeing none, um, before we vote, I just want to take a few moments to speak on this appointment. Uh, our last Inspector General transition left us without a permanent Inspector General for over 6 months, which in my opinion is much too long to have such a critical position vacant.”Matthew J. MartinChair · Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight · May 19, 2026 · 1:17:29“Through the chair would be terrific. Um, uh, okay, so presentation mentioned projected year-end budget gap of $89.3 million.”Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Budget and Government Operations · Jul 16, 2026 · 2:44:29“How often are they gonna meet, and is there some additional detail you can share about how the oversight that they will provide will occur working in lockstep with Choose Chicago?”Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Finance · Feb 27, 2026 · 1:26:56“…you anticipate that the county would be better served than the city to lead on both the, um, the, I guess, design of that system as well as the funding of any work associated with it?”Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Public Safety · Jul 9, 2026 · 1:41:00“…we seeing situations where we have a repeat offender who has been fined, uh, say, more than $1,000, and it seems that that is not having the desired deterrent effect?”Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Public Safety · Mar 3, 2026 · 1:18:17“…we would have made the $166 million back payment without borrowing, except for the fact that healthcare costs went up unexpectedly this year. Is that true?”Matthew J. MartinMember · Committee on Budget and Government Operations · Dec 17, 2025 · 3:53:00

Officials only. Public speakers are counted, never named.

Issues Martin raised, by number of meetings

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

Where Martin sits

Ward 47 on the current City Council map

Click a ward to open its member’s page.

Ward 1: Daniel La SpataWard 2: Brian HopkinsWard 3: Pat DowellWard 4: Lamont J. RobinsonWard 5: Desmon C. YancyWard 6: William E. HallWard 7: Gregory MitchellWard 8: Michelle HarrisWard 9: Anthony BealeWard 10: Peter ChicoWard 11: Nicole T. LeeWard 12: Julia M. RamirezWard 13: Marty QuinnWard 14: Jeylu B. GutierrezWard 15: Raymond LopezWard 16: Stephanie D. ColemanWard 17: David MooreWard 18: Derrick G. CurtisWard 19: Matthew J. O'SheaWard 20: Jeanette B. TaylorWard 21: Ronnie L. MosleyWard 22: Michael D. RodriguezWard 23: Silvana TabaresWard 24: Monique L. ScottWard 25: Byron Sigcho-LopezWard 26: Jessica FuentesWard 27: Walter Redmond BurnettWard 28: Jason C. ErvinWard 29: Chris TaliaferroWard 30: Ruth CruzWard 31: Felix Cardona, Jr.Ward 32: Scott WaguespackWard 33: Rossana Rodriguez SanchezWard 34: William ConwayWard 35: Anthony QuezadaWard 36: Gilbert VillegasWard 37: Emma MittsWard 38: Nicholas SposatoWard 39: Samantha NugentWard 40: Andre Vasquez, Jr.Ward 41: Anthony NapolitanoWard 42: Brendan ReillyWard 43: Timmy KnudsenWard 44: Bennett R. LawsonWard 45: James M. GardinerWard 46: Angela ClayWard 47: Matthew J. MartinWard 48: Leni Manaa-HoppenworthWard 49: Maria E. HaddenWard 50: Debra SilversteinCity HallDaniel La Spata · Ward 1Brian Hopkins · Ward 2Pat Dowell · Ward 3Lamont J. Robinson · Ward 4Desmon C. Yancy · Ward 5William E. Hall · Ward 6Gregory Mitchell · Ward 7Michelle Harris · Ward 8Anthony Beale · Ward 9Peter Chico · Ward 10Nicole T. Lee · Ward 11Julia M. Ramirez · Ward 12Marty Quinn · Ward 13Jeylu B. Gutierrez · Ward 14Raymond Lopez · Ward 15Stephanie D. Coleman · Ward 16David Moore · Ward 17Derrick G. Curtis · Ward 18Matthew J. O'Shea · Ward 19Jeanette B. Taylor · Ward 20Ronnie L. Mosley · Ward 21Michael D. Rodriguez · Ward 22Silvana Tabares · Ward 23Monique L. Scott · Ward 24Byron Sigcho-Lopez · Ward 25Jessica Fuentes · Ward 26Walter Redmond Burnett · Ward 27Jason C. Ervin · Ward 28Chris Taliaferro · Ward 29Ruth Cruz · Ward 30Felix Cardona, Jr. · Ward 31Scott Waguespack · Ward 32Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez · Ward 33William Conway · Ward 34Anthony Quezada · Ward 35Gilbert Villegas · Ward 36Emma Mitts · Ward 37Nicholas Sposato · Ward 38Samantha Nugent · Ward 39Andre Vasquez, Jr. · Ward 40Anthony Napolitano · Ward 41Brendan Reilly · Ward 42Timmy Knudsen · Ward 43Bennett R. Lawson · Ward 44James M. Gardiner · Ward 45Angela Clay · Ward 46Matthew J. Martin · Ward 47Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth · Ward 48Maria E. Hadden · Ward 49Debra Silverstein · Ward 50
Matthew J. Martin sits for Ward 47. Click a ward to open its member’s page.Ward lines: Chicago Data Portal, Boundaries - Wards (2023-), p293-wvbd, fetched 2026-10-30.
Every roll call, and Martin’s other bodies

Present at 20 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 0. 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 →
Questions

Martin asked 39 questions at the five Committee on Budget and Government Operations meetings where we identified them

At least this many: direct questions only.

Of Martin’s 33 questions to city departments at the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, 19 went to budget, finance and controller.

Who they question: 39 questions to a department, 4 bodies · Oct 24, 2025 – Oct 9, 2026.

Committee on Budget and Government Operations33 questions to city departments
Committee on Budget and Government Operations: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
Budget, finance and controller1958%
Administration, HR, contracts and facilities1236%
City attorney / law department13%
Public health and mental health13%
Committee on Finance2 questions to city departments
Committee on Finance: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
Budget, finance and controller2
Committee on License and Consumer Protection2 questions to city departments
Committee on License and Consumer Protection: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
Budget, finance and controller1
Economic development, business and licensing1
Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety2 questions to city departments
Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
Transportation and transit2
Neighborhoods Martin named

2 places Martin named in meetings

Lines where Martin 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
  • Lincoln Square 1 time
  • North Center 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 Martin was or what was said about it.

Meetings

Every meeting where we identified Martin’s voice

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

  1. Oct 8, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy3.1 min1:28:26
  2. Oct 5, 2026Committee on Finance0.3 min1:39:50
  3. Oct 1, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight6.0 min11:09
  4. Sep 24, 2026Committee on Finance2.4 min3:06:38
  5. Sep 23, 2026City Council3.2 min3:12:43
  6. Sep 15, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety2.8 min52:24
  7. Sep 9, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight11.5 min9:23
  8. Sep 9, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection6.2 min2:30:14
  9. Sep 1, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy0.8 min49:52
  10. Jul 16, 2026Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.6 min2:43:49
Show all 38Show fewer
  1. Jul 15, 2026City Council1.4 min3:19:12
  2. Jul 9, 2026Committee on Public Safety4.0 min1:35:24
  3. Jun 25, 2026Committee on Finance2.6 min2:58:51
  4. Jun 15, 2026Committee on Finance0.5 min1:57:18
  5. Jun 10, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight2.6 min36:01
  6. Jun 9, 2026Committee on Public Safety4.7 min1:45:03
  7. Jun 9, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety3.2 min1:04:51
  8. May 20, 2026City Council5.9 min1:27:57
  9. May 19, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight9.0 min20:15
  10. May 18, 2026Committee on Finance2.0 min2:34:00
  11. May 11, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy1.5 min1:35:18
  12. Apr 16, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight7.0 min7:31
  13. Apr 13, 2026Committee on License and Consumer Protection1.4 min1:53:19
  14. Mar 18, 2026City Council1.0 min3:19:28
  15. Mar 16, 2026Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight14.1 min11:57
  16. Mar 3, 2026Committee on Public Safety7.3 min1:11:35
  17. Mar 3, 2026Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy5.2 min2:57:42
  18. Feb 27, 2026Committee on Finance0.4 min1:26:45
  19. Feb 9, 2026Committee on Finance2.1 min55:46
  20. Feb 9, 2026Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety5.0 min1:07:17
  21. Jan 14, 2026Committee on Finance1.7 min2:04:36
  22. Dec 17, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.2 min3:46:17
  23. Dec 16, 2025Committee on Finance2.5 min3:10:06
  24. Dec 4, 2025Committee on Finance0.1 min1:38:16
  25. Nov 13, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations9.0 min7:29:23
  26. Nov 10, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations3.7 min3:29:25
  27. Nov 10, 2025Committee on Finance1.1 min1:45:36
  28. Oct 29, 2025Committee on Budget and Government Operations4.3 min5:13:36
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 Martin’s voice at 38 meetings across eight bodies. A meeting missing here means we couldn’t attribute the voice, not that Martin was absent. Claude and Gemini each read every transcript with that day’s roster. A voice gets Matthew J. Martin’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 Martin 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 Martin or of Chicago alone.