What does an alderman do? (2024)

By: Josh Briggs

What does an alderman do? (1)

Did you know if you're frustrated with something going on in your community, your dentist could potentially help change the law to rectify it? Or perhaps even your teacher or the guy wrenching on cars down at the local garage? It's because one of those people could be an alderman.

To understand what an alderman is, you first need to determine what government you're talking about. Aldermen were traditionally high-ranking officials in Anglo-Saxon England, often presiding in a shire. The term alderman comes from the Old English title of ealdorman, which means "elder man" or "older man" [source: Leicester City Council].

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In the United States, city and county governments prefer the term "councilman" or "council member" to "alderman." But it depends on the municipality. Chicago's City Council, for instance, is made up of 50 elected aldermen who represent a district or ward. The city's mayor presides over the aldermen, who represent the people at a city or county level. Aldermen are elected by the residents of a district. Much like congressmen, aldermen represent the people who elect them and aim to do what's in the residents' best interest. In some cases, more than one alderman can represent a district [source: Mellone].

In other countries, aldermen are more prevalent. For instance, in England and Ireland, aldermen serve on a council that represents boroughs much the way council members represent counties. Like most politicians, aldermen can be from different political parties. In England, for example, aldermen can be from the Labour, Conservative, Green, Socialist Alternative, Respect and Liberal Democrat parties, or the Christian People's Alliance.

That's basically what an alderman is. The next section gives insight on what they do. As you'll soon see, their responsibilities may be quite different depending on where they're serving.

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Aldermen's Responsibilities

Aldermen have several responsibilities. Depending on the municipality, aldermen meet with fellow council members monthly, twice a month or even weekly. They might also serve in emergency situations to work through issues pertaining to the area that they represent. Aldermen adhere to a scheduled list of items known as an agenda, but can deal with matters that arise quickly and without warning. The agenda is often posted before the meetings, which are usually open to the public.

In addition to working with fellow aldermen to hash out issues including zoning and other matters of city policy, aldermen often serve on committees that work on larger projects. For instance, let's say someone brought up the idea to build a youth center in your community. The first step in the process before ever breaking ground on the project would be to form a group to design a plan. Aldermen are appointed to head each of these committees. Aldermen might do research on some of the related issues, talk to representatives from other cities that have undertaken similar projects and discuss concerns with residents who might be affected by the construction of a new youth center.

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In the United States, an alderman's job can range from a part-time position earning less than $10,000 a year to a full-time job earning as much as $100,000, as seen in Chicago [source: Office of Chicago City Clerk]. Just about anyone can run for election to be an alderman, though circ*mstances such as felony convictions may keep candidates off the ballot.

Each district has guidelines residents must meet to be considered viable candidates. These guidelines are often set by a board of elections or electoral commission to ensure candidates' integrity and to investigate possible conflicts of interest. This is where things can get interesting: Imagine if a city or county employee such as the person who checks your water usage was an alderman and he or she introduced a recommendation to give pay raises to meter readers. That would be an obvious conflict of interest.

Since aldermen are residents in communities and many times are only part-time city employees once elected, a potential candidate must be able to balance his or her time. While there is usually no prescribed number of hours required of aldermen, it's not uncommon to spend 20 or more hours in service per week. Also, aldermen can be required to be on call 24 hours a day.

Some well-known cities in the United States that have aldermen include St. Louis, Milwaukee, New Haven, Conn. and Chicago. Cities in Australia such as Adelaide elect aldermen, and several European countries still have their aldermen.

For more information on local government and to read related HowStuffWorks articles, take a look at the links on the next page.

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Alderman FAQs

What are aldermen in Chicago?

It is the title bestowed upon members of Chicago's City Council. There are 50 aldermen in total; they each serve four-year terms and are granted considerable control over the happenings in the city. Each district is assigned its own alderman.

Are councillors different from aldermen?

The terms have the same meaning; depending on the municipality, some prefer one over the other.

What is the role of an alderman?

Aldermen represent citizens at city and county levels. Similar to the role of congressmen, they have a duty to speak for the people and safeguard their interests.

How are aldermen elected?

Since each district has its own alderman, they are elected by residents of the district in question.

How do you address an alderman?

If you are writing a letter, you start with "The Honorable" and follow with the full name. In conversation you would address them as Mr. or Ms., followed by their last name. Or possibly "Alderman" followed by their last name.

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Related HowStuffWorks Articles
  • What does a county clerk do?
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  • City of Brookfield, Wisc . (March 25, 2010) http://www.cityofbrookfield.com/
  • Leicester City Council. "What is an Honorary Alderman?" (March 31, 2010) http://www.leicester.gov.uk/about-leicester/lordmayorcivic/history-freemen-town-hall/honorary-alderman/
  • Mellone, Lisa. "What is an Alderman?" Betterbrookfield.com. (April 9, 2010) http://www.betterbrookfield.com/index_files/Page871.htm
  • Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (March 26, 2010) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alderman
  • Minors, Michael; Grenham, Dennis. "London Borough Council Elections." Greater London Authority. May 4, 2006. (April 1, 2010) http://www.london.gov.uk/archive/gla/publications/factsandfigures/boroelec06-pt1.rtf
  • Office of the Chicago City Clerk. (March 30, 2010) http://chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/alderman/find.html
  • Stallcup, Katie. The Natchez Democrat. "What do They Make? Elected Officials Salaries Vary per Position, Community." Dec. 2, 2007. (April 1, 2010) http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2007/dec/02/what-do-they-make/

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What does an alderman do? (2024)

FAQs

What does an alderman do? ›

Aldermen are elected to serve the citizens of their Ward and often are asked to meet with their constituents. They attend all Board meetings and vote on items as they appear on the agenda and are presented by City Staff.

What is an alderman in simple terms? ›

A member of a city council. Aldermen usually represent city districts, called wards, and work with the mayor to run the city government.

How much do US alderman make? ›

How much does a City Alderman make? As of Aug 17, 2024, the average annual pay for a City Alderman in the United States is $115,722 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $55.64 an hour.

Do all states have aldermen? ›

States that use the term include Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. It is also sometimes used in Louisiana, Maryland, and Mississippi.

What does a Chicago alderman do? ›

Each district is represented by an alderman who is elected by their constituency to serve a four year term. In addition to representing the interests of their ward residents, together the fifty aldermen comprise the Chicago City Council, which serves as the legislative branch of government of the City of Chicago.

What is another name for an alderman? ›

Synonyms: councilman, council member, councilwoman, selectman, magistrate, ward officer, representative , district representative, borough elector, municipal legislator, member of the board of aldermen, assemblyman, city father, councilor, councillor (UK), legislator, lawmaker, local councillor (UK)

What is the old meaning of alderman? ›

In Anglo-Saxon England, an alderman was a royal official who made laws or served in the military. The word is from a root that means "patriarch" or "old man," and these long-ago aldermen were, in fact, exclusively male.

What are the qualifications to be a alderman in Chicago? ›

Eligibility. In order to be eligible, applicants must fulfill the below requirements: Applicant must have lived in the 11th ward for at least one year prior to their appointment. Applicant must be a valued, public servant who has demonstrated their commitment to service.

What is the average congressional salary? ›

The annual salary received by members of the United States Congress in 2024 is 174,000 U.S. dollars. This has been the case since 2009.

Is an alderman a Councillor? ›

In each electoral area of a borough or county borough, the first several candidates elected were styled "alderman" and the rest "councillor". Someone co-opted to fill a seat vacated by an alderman would be styled "councillor".

How do I address an alderman in a letter? ›

How do you address an alderman? If you are writing a letter, you start with "The Honorable" and follow with the full name. In conversation you would address them as Mr. or Ms., followed by their last name. Or possibly "Alderman" followed by their last name.

What is the hierarchy of the local government? ›

Local governments generally include two tiers: counties, also known as boroughs in Alaska and parishes in Louisiana, and municipalities, or cities/towns. In some States, counties are divided into townships.

What is the abbreviation for alderman? ›

Ald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ald.

What Chicago alderman went to jail? ›

By Chicago Sun-Times Wire and NBC Chicago Staff • Published June 24, 2024 • Updated on June 24, 2024 at 6:38 pm. NBC Universal, Inc. Longtime Chicago Ald. Ed Burke was sentenced to prison and a hefty fine after a conviction in his federal corruption case.

Who was the longest serving alderman in Chicago? ›

Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Burke is the longest-serving alderman in Chicago history.

Are all Chicago alderman Democrats? ›

Alderperson elections are officially nonpartisan; party affiliations below are informational only. Council members also self-organize into caucuses, or blocs that address particular issues. Active caucuses include the Black Caucus, Democratic Socialist Caucus, Latino Caucus, LGBT Caucus, and Progressive Reform Caucus.

How is alderman used in a short sentence? ›

The aldermen are elected by the council as a whole. I am old enough to remember aldermen in local government.

Who are known as alderman? ›

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen).

Does NYC have alderman? ›

The new unicameral Board comprised aldermen elected from special districts at one per district, the President of the Board of Aldermen, who was elected citywide, and the Borough presidents.

What is an ALD in politics? ›

Alderman, a member of a municipal assembly or council.

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