Alderman’s wife works City Council floor to build support for city treasurer bid

State Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin (D-Chicago) worked the floor at Wednesday’s City Council meeting to build support for her candidacy to replace retiring City Treasurer Kurt Summers.

Conyears-Ervin, wife of Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), boldly violated the seldom-enforced rule that only former aldermen are allowed on the City Council floor.

There was simply no time to waste, one day after Summers announced he would give up the $133,545-a-year office to which he had been appointed by retiring Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“I actually have a relationship with most of them already. I’ve been around them for quite a while now,” Conyears-Ervin, 42, said of her husband’s City Council colleagues.

“I look forward to taking the baton and taking the office to the next level. … I see an opportunity for that office to be a consumer advocate for our community. We want to make certain that banks we’re investing in are investing in us. That’s why I want to run for that office.”

Conyears-Ervin bristled at those who suggest she is attempting to ride in on her husband’s political coattails.

“I actually have my masters in business administration and finance. I’ve spent my entire career in corporate America. So, as far as dollars and cents, budgets, money, investing — that’s my experience,” she said.

“While I was in corporate America, I really wasn’t being fulfilled because my heart really was [in] working for the community. I’m so happy and privileged that I have an opportunity to merge [that passion and expertise.] This is a perfect opportunity.”

Ald. Ervin Jason Ervin (28th) flatly denied that his wife’s candidacy and possible election as city treasurer would conflict with his own role as vice-chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee.

“If there are any issues, of course I would recuse myself from those matters,” the alderman said. “However, there will be a new term and who knows what the committee structure will look like.”

Summers gave up the office after flirting with running for mayor — and for governor, before that. He plans to return to the private sector, but he has not announced his future job.

Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th), who is retiring from the City Council to comply with his self-imposed two-term limit, also is considering a run for city treasurer. He was on the Council floor while Conyears-Ervin was buttonholing aldermen prior to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s final budget address.