In a surprising twist, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nomination for the head of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) has raised eyebrows, as the candidate lacked the necessary qualifications, according to the selection committee.
ABC7 News has obtained a revealing letter that sheds light on the committee’s concerns regarding the mayor’s choice.
Mayor Johnson has shown strong support for his ally, former Alderman Walter Burnett, to take on the role of CEO at the CHA. Although Burnett’s candidacy was introduced late in the process, the committee was unable to endorse him for the position.
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Burnett, who served on the City Council for three decades representing the 27th Ward, is known for his effective advocacy and close relationship with Mayor Johnson.
After retiring this summer, Burnett had anticipated being named CEO of the CHA by the mayor.
A letter dated October 1, addressed to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, revealed that the Chairman of the CHA noted, “As a courtesy, the Selection Committee interviewed Mr. Burnett on June 8.”
“They just wanted to say they talked to him so that they could placate the mayor and then hire somebody who’s really qualified for the job,” said David Greising, President of the Better Government Association.
A month earlier, the committee had already reviewed 107 interested candidates, chosen five finalists and recommended the two top candidates to the mayor.
In his letter, the CHA Chairman said of Burnett: “We informed the mayor that we do not recommend him as CEO… he is not a typical candidate for the CEO position given his lack of operational experience.”
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“It’s curious that the mayor would want to appoint someone with no management experience to run an agency of this size, especially an agency that’s so important to his base and so important to this political agenda,” ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington
The CHA has a $1.3 billion budget and serves 63,000 low-income families.
The other top candidates to run the agency all had been CEO’s with 20 years experience at multiple housing authorities.
“There’s nothing wrong with bringing your allies along. That’s what mayors do, but you want to have someone who’s the best, someone who has a knowledge and experience who can make you look good and help you succeed,” Washington said.
The mayor’s office said given the CHA’s propensity to hire outsiders without critical Chicago connections, said that Burnett, who grew up on Cabrini Green, “addresses some of these stakeholder concerns and has a demonstrated ability to get things done within the Chicago context.”
ABC7 reached out to Burnett to see what he had to say about the concerns about his candidacy. He declined to comment, but remains the mayor’s choice to head the CHA.
