CHICAGO — On Wednesday, another heated City Council meeting took place. Mayor Lightfoot’s supporters, realizing they might not have the votes to defeat something they didn’t want, used the rules to their advantage.

Mayor Lightfoot’s controversial speed camera policy remains on the book — at least for now. A day prior by a 16 to 15 vote, the Finance Committee approved to roll back the city’s speed camera threshold from 6 miles per hour to 10 miles per hour.

During a continuous City Council meeting, Lightfoot allies postponed a vote sparing the mayor a potentially embarrassing defeat.

Ald. Jason Ervin used a parliamentary maneuver to delay final consideration. 

“Aldermen Waguespack, Sposato, Burnett, Curtis, Harris, LaSpata and I move to defer and publish,” he said.

In retaliation, Lightfoot foes, Aldermen Anthony Beale and Raymond Lopez, stalled approval of various other Council business.

The mayor grew visibly annoyed.

“Just so we can be clear and maybe save some time, are you guys gonna play this game on ever item that comes out of committee?” Lightfoot said.

Other members of the City Council did not know what to do.

The mayor says the lower threshold has led to $59 million in additional revenue.

Since the 6 mph policy went into effect, 9th Ward Ald. Beale has been on a crusade to raise the bar. 

“When the administration doesn’t want something to come for a vote and they don’t want to see democracy in action you become a dictator and you allow things to get squashed,” he said.

Lightfoot and her supporters say they’re concerned about lost revenue.

“It was gonna create an unbalanced budget. The fact that you’re reducing revenue without reducing corresponding expenditure,” Ald. Ervin said.