The council members came out of the same movement as Marion. But Marion was unique in that he was the only one among them who understood and embraced power. Each time the council hesitated, Barry wrested more control over contracts, jobs and city services. Over time, some council members acknowledged, the mayor came to treat them as another supplicant. And the council was divided between those who didn't know any better or those who were flatly in league with him.
Some council members argue that Troupe gives too harsh an accounting.
Bill Lightfoot, a former at-large council member, is sharply critical of the council's passivity. But he said it was unrealistic to expect the council to run the city from its legislative chamber, especially when agency chiefs were unresponsive on so many fronts. The best the council can do, he said, is to shine a light into as many corners of city government as possible. But our system relies on the goodwill of the mayor. And that's where it breaks down.