If Chicago's next mayor wants to sell off any additional city assets or services, he or she is going to face scrutiny from aldermen in the City Council. Outside of the council chambers this morning, Illinois PIRG held a press conference to thank the 19 lawmakers who have signed on to the group's privatization transparency pledge (PDF), which asks that members "not vote for any future ordinances that lease public assets or services unless at a minimum there is proper public discourse and protections to ensure taxpayers receive fair value." "Before I endorse any candidate for mayor," said Ald. Joe Moore (49th Ward), one of the signers, "they're going to have to sign on to these principles." Watch:

The group is also calling on aldermen to revive the "Taxpayer Protection Ordinance" (PDF), which was introduced in 2009 and gained 13 co-sponsors but is now stuck in the Finance Committee. That bill would have been useful when the Daley administration rushed through its parking meter lease two years ago. To plug the city's 2011 deficit, aldermen are expected today to approve the mayor's plan to drain the meter reserve fund.

UPDATE (12:47 p.m): Right on cue, mayoral contender Rahm Emanuel has confirmed that he would oppose the sale of Midway Airport, which the Daley administration has been working to swing for a while.