In a contentious City Council hearing, Mayor Brandon Johnson's nominee, Rev. Ira Acree, to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) board faced scrutiny over his awareness and preparedness to address the agency's financial challenges. Despite admitting this was his first time hearing of the RTA's $735 million budget shortfall and struggling to articulate specific policy changes, Acree's nomination was advanced by a key city panel. The hearing highlighted concerns about the qualifications of appointees, with Ald. Taliaferro commenting that qualifications are overrated. Acree, a West Side pastor with political connections, also noted that he rarely uses public transit, relying instead on personal transportation. Mayor Johnson expressed absolute confidence in Acree, citing his lived experience as valuable.
Merits of Mayor’s latest @RTA_Chicago appointment aside that board definitely has a bunch of whip smart policy, politics, and finance people on it already. Which is helpful. #FreePlug https://t.co/uKX9ITVzcN
A pastor’s appointment to a regional transit board has advanced despite him saying he rarely rides CTA. “...I don’t have to use CTA. I’m fortunate to have a car,” Rev. Ira Acree said at a hearing. https://t.co/Vw7dKOy37S https://t.co/ZXZpPkk0Fb
A key Chicago City Council panel advanced Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nomination of the Rev. Ira Acree to serve on the board of the Regional Transportation Authority. https://t.co/8ZqdlWkjrz
.@ChicagosMayor said of his picks for the CTA and RTA that he's "putting forth people that have real lived experiences." Of Acree, he said: "I have absolute confidence that his lived experience" will help, be a "real voice" to families that rely on public transit https://t.co/z8BgPEW6K7
A pastor's appointment to the Regional Transit Authority board advanced despite him saying he rarely rides the CTA. https://t.co/LtjSahO5MK https://t.co/6Bd0z8bg45
Johnson’s nomination of pastor to transportation board gets pushback, but advances https://t.co/sh9VGt4sTZ
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed appointee to the Regional Transportation Authority board, a politically-connected West Side pastor, struggled Wednesday to answer aldermen’s questions about the role and the looming financial difficulties facing the agency. https://t.co/sJG9ePXGdu
Mayor Johnson's pick for transit board advances despite not knowing of looming $730 million shortfall https://t.co/FkSl79DgJp https://t.co/eThAxBqPev
The Rev. Ira Acree repeatedly struggled to articulate exactly what changes he would make if confirmed to the @RTA_Chicago board, declining to answer questions about mayor's specific transit agenda and the looming fiscal cliff. @wttw https://t.co/mo8TAXivaa
BREAKING: A key city panel advanced Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nomination of the Rev. Ira Acree to serve on the board of the Regional Transportation Authority, after a tense hearing that focused on the problems facing public transportation in Chicago. @WTTW
Ald. Taliaferro said proposed RTA appointment Acree is a friend and makes an interesting case that qualifications are overrated and shouldn't be considered. This comes as the transit systems in the region is seemingly on life support from a funding perspective. https://t.co/3rkNVZIMxh
Stunning City Council moment: Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed RTA appointment, Rev. Ira Acree, was asked about the agency's very public upcoming $735 million budget shortfall. "Well, number one, this is my first time hearing about a $735 million shortfall,” he said.