>>> THE LAST CITY COUNCIL OF HIS TERM IS IN THE BOOKS, AND FOR OUR GUESTS IT IS THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING EVER.

NOW THEY CAN SOUND OFF ABOUT WHAT THEY REALLY THINK ABOUT THE CITY'S PRIORITIES AND GIVE ADVICE TO THEIR SUCCESSORS.

SO HERE FOR THEIR EXIT INTERVIEWS ARE ALDERMAN JAMES KOPELMAN OF THE 46th WARD, 48 ALDERMAN HARRY, AND SOPHIA KING.

WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAD TO BE UNLIKE ANY OTHER THAT YOU HAVE SERVED, WITH COVID, UNREST , IS THAT WHAT YOU DECIDED THAT NOW WAS THE TIME TO GO?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT IS NOT THE REASON.

IT WAS A VERY CHALLENGING TIME FOR EVERYBODY.

I FINISHED THREE TERMS, AND PRIOR TO THAT I WAS 11 YEARS AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

SO 23 YEARS AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

I HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT IN MY COMMUNITY THAT I WANTED TO DO WHEN I SET OUT.

SO I FELT LIKE IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO I WILL EMBARK ON SOMETHING ELSE.

>> ALDERMAN KAPLAN, YOU BEAT BACK SOME TOUGH CHALLENGES A COUPLE OF TIMES.

HOW COME YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT ANOTHER TIME?

>> I WILL TELL YOU.

I WAS ELECTED IN 2011, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD ONLY SERVE TWO TERMS.

>> SO THIS WAS PART OF THE PLAN.

ALDERMAN KING, YOU HAD TO GIVE UP HER SEAT TO RUN FOR MAYOR.

WILL YOU MISS NOT BEING THERE OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS?

>> YOU KNOW, IT IS BITTERSWEET.

I WILL OBVIOUSLY MISS IT, BUT I DON'T REGRET TRYING TO STEP UP AND HELP OUR CITY.

WE ALL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER TO HELP MAYOR-ELECT JOHNSON.

>> ALDERMAN, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WORKED ON OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS WAS POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND YOU ARE NOW SEARCHING FOR THE NEXT POLICE SUPERINTENDENT.

DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THIS NEW OVERSIGHT CAN KEEP THE CITY SAFE BUT ALSO SERVE AS A GOOD CHECK?

>> I THINK THAT IT REALLY IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TO BRING COMMUNITIES CLOSER TO WORKING WITH THE POLICE.

WE HAD AN ELECTION, THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE, WHERE PEOPLE WERE ELECTED IN EVERY DISTRICT, THE COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS PART OF THE COMMISSION.

I THINK THAT IT WILL BRING, AGAIN, POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY CLOSER TOGETHER, WHICH TO ME IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CITY.

I THINK THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN DOING GREAT WORK ALREADY, COMING UP WITH CRITERIA FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE FROM A SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL AS A PLAN.

ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT THE CITY AND THE MAYOR HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS CREATING AN OVERALL SAFETY PLAN, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT AND THE STICK TO THE PLAN.

THEY CAN MODIFY IT IF THEY HAVE TO, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE, IS A PLAN THAT MAKES EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY SAFER.

WE ARE EXCITED AND HOPEFUL THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> ALDERMAN KAPLAN, A NUMBER WHEN YOU WERE ELECTED YOU WERE CONSIDERED PRE-LEFT-WING.

BUT YOU ARE GETTING A CHALLENGE FROM YOUR LEFT, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THAT PORTENDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL?

WHAT DYNAMIC WILL WE SEE WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH MAYOR JOHNSON?

>> I THINK THAT THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS CHANGING.

I ACTUALLY WELCOME IT.

I DID NOT WANT SOMEONE WHO WAS GOING TO BE JUST LIKE ME.

WHAT I CONTRIBUTE TO THE 46th WARD WAS PART OF MY PERSONALITY.

WE NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS.

>> ALDERMAN KING, HOW ABOUT YOU?

WHAT DO YOU PREDICT FOR YOUR SUCCESSOR AND THE DYNAMIC WITH THE NEW CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR JOHNSON?

WILL IT BE A STRONG COUNSEL, WEAK MAYOR, OR COLLABORATIVE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I HOPE IT WILL BE MORE COLLABORATIVE.

I WISH MY SUCCESSOR WELL, AS WELL AS MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON.

I THINK THE KEY TO SUCCESS WILL BE COLLABORATION.

IT WILL BE THE EXECUTIVE BODY AND THE LEGISLATIVE BODY COMING TOGETHER TO WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY SHARE.

I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO REALIZE, THAT THE EXECUTIVE BODY SHARE CONSTITUENTS WHO WORK TOGETHER ON THEIR BEHALF.

WE WILL SEE MORE OF THAT.

AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I AM HOPING.

>> YOU DIDN'T ALWAYS SEE THAT IN THE LIGHTFOOT ERA.

HE SOMETIMES SAW A LOT OF ACRIMONY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE NOW?

>> I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE AN IMPROVEMENT.

IT IS REALLY CRITICAL.

I THINK THAT SHE DID A LOT OF WORK ON HOUSING THAT SHE DIDN'T GET CREDIT FOR.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THERE.

I THINK THERE ARE GOOD THINGS THAT SHE HAS DONE THAT HOPEFULLY THE MAYOR CAN CARRY ON, SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARDS TO HOUSING.

WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO SUPPORT THESE COMMUNITIES.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LEGACY WITH MAYOR LIGHTFOOT?

>> I PURPOSELY WORKED WITH A LOT OF ALDERMEN WHO WERE DIFFERENT FOR ME.

I WAS VERY SURPRISED BY WHAT I SAW.

MY ROLE WAS COMMUNITY.

THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITS BY ALL OF US INVESTING.

>> SPEAKING OF INVESTMENT, ALDERWOMAN KING, I KNOW DURING THE DEBATE YOU ARE PRETTY BULLISH ON WHETHER THE BEARS COULD STAY IN SOLDIER FIELD.

IN YOUR REPORT FROM THE FOURTH WARD.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT?

IS THERE A CHANCE THE CITY COULD KEEP THEM THERE?

>> I AM AN OPTIMIST.

I THINK NO MATTER WHERE THEY GO THEY WOULD NEED ASSISTANCE IN SOME WAY.

I THINK THAT MONEY WOULD GO A LOT LONGER TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

IT WOULD BE A FACILITY THAT COULD BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK DURING THE SEASON, AND COULD BE USED, YOU KNOW, AS MORE THAN JUST A PLACE WHERE THE BEARS ARE STAYING, BUT CERTAINLY WE ARE STILL BULLISH ON THE BEARS STAYING IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

>> ALL RIGHT, ALDERMAN KING, I WILL QUICKLY STAY WITH YOU.

WHAT IS NEXT, ANOTHER POLITICAL OFFICE, PERHAPS?

>> YEAH, THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT I AM GETTING.

I AM GOING TO GET SOME REST FIRST, MUCH LIKE ALDERMAN OSTERMAN, THEN I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME, I AM OPEN TO THOSE.

BUT I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GET SOME REST FIRST.

BUT ALSO I REALLY WISH MAYOR