List of city clerks of Chicago


The city clerk of Chicago is in charge of record-keeping for Chicago, including for its elections, permits, licenses, and laws. When the Chicago City Council is in session, the city clerk also serves as council secretary. The clerk is a citywide elected office, and is one of three city-wide elected officials in the City of Chicago, along with the Mayor and the Treasurer.
The current city clerk is Anna Valencia.
One former city clerk is more famous for his non-political activities: The late Baseball Hall of Famer Cap Anson served one term from 1905-1907.

Duties

The city clerk's office is responsible for maintaining official city government record, distributing approximately 1.3 million vehicle stickers and residential parking permits, and issuing city business licenses.
Significant City Council transparency efforts have included posting nearly 700,000 pages of searchable City Council records to the city clerk website, . This includes every ordinance passed since 1981, as well as city budgets and mayoral executive orders going back nearly 30 years. In addition, City Council meetings can be watched live or on demand via a City Council video archive on the city clerk's website.

List of city clerks

City clerksTermNotes
Anna Valencia2017-Appointed in 2017, and elected in 2019.
Susana Mendoza2011-2016Elected in 2011 and 2015. Resigned in 2016 to become the Illinois Comptroller.
Miguel del Valle2006-2011Appointed in 2006, and elected in 2007. Resigned in 2011 to run for Mayor of Chicago.
James Laski1995-2006Elected in 1995, and re-elected in 1999 and 2003. Resigned in 2006 after his indictment for corruption.
Ernest Wish1993-1995Appointed in 1993, and did not seek election to a full term.
Walter Kozubowski1979-1993Elected in 1979, and re-elected in 1983, 1987, and 1991. Resigned in 1993 after pleading guilty to corruption.
John C. Marcin1955-1979Elected in 1955, and re-elected in 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, and 1975. In 1979, became alderperson for the 35th Ward.
Ludwig D. Schreiber1939-1955Elected in 1939, and re-elected in 1943, 1947, and 1951.
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Peter J. Brady1931-1937
Patrick S. Smith1927-1931
Al F. Gorman1923-1927
James T. Igoe1917-1923
Joseph Siman1917
John Siman1915-1917
Francis D. Connery1909-1915He was elected in 1909. His term may have ended in 1915.
John R. McCabe1907-1909
Cap Anson1905-1907
Fred C. Bender1903-1905
William Loeffler1897-1903
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Charles A. Gastfield1893-1895
James R.B. Van Cleave1891-1893
Franz Amberg1889-1891
D.W. Nickerson1887-1889
C. Herman Plautz1885-1887
John G. Neumeister1883-1885
Patrick J. Howard1879-1883
Caspar Butz1876-1879
Joseph K.C. Forrest1873-1875
Charles T. Hotchkiss1869-1873
Albert H. Bodman1865-1869
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A.J. Marble1861-1863
Abraham Kohn1860-1861
H. Kreismann1857-1860
Henry W. Zimmerman1851-1857
Sidney Aboll1848-1851
Henry B. Clarke1846-1848
William S. Brown1845-1846
Edward Rucker1844-1845
James M. Lowe1843-1844
James Curtiss1842-1843
Thomas Hoyne1840-1842
William H. Brackett1839-1840
George Davis1837-1839
Isaac N. Arnold1837Inaugural city clerk

Town clerks

The position of city clerk was preceded by the position of town clerk, which existed after Chicago had been incorporated as a town and before Chicago was incorporated as a city.
City clerksTermNotes
James Curtiss1836-1837Became Clerk in September 1836
Ebenezer Peck1836
Charles V. Dyer1836Resigned immediately after being elected at the June 6, 1936 town election
Ebenezer Peck1835Coincidingly served as the town's Counsel
Alexander N. Fullerton1835Elected in July 1835 town election
Edwards W. Casey1834-1835Became Clerk in November 1834. Coincidingly served as Corporation Counsel.
Isaac Harmon1834Elected clerk in August 11, 1834 town election. Coincidingly served as Town Collector.
H. J. Hamilton1833-1834
E. S. Kimberly1833Inaugural town clerk