Stroger backs off plan to dilute his power
Four months ago, Todd Stroger said that if elected, he would do "all that I can to help" pass a state law to weaken the County Board president's power.
Now on the job, Stroger has had a change of heart.
He says he no longer supports a measure to reduce the number of commissioners needed to override his veto.
It now takes four-fifths -- or 14 -- of the 17 commissioners to override a Stroger veto.
State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) introduced a bill last fall to reduce that to three-fifths, which is common in most governments.
On Wednesday, that press release was gone from Stroger's campaign Web site, and he denied having supported it.
"I said I will not stand in its way," he said. "I'm not going to go out there and lobby for it. But I'm not going to say I'm against it. I'm just neutral."
But sources said a Democratic analysis lists Stroger as an opponent, which Stroger said is mistaken.
Fritchey was taken aback by Stroger's shift in support.
"I would assume . . . I could take him at his word," he said.