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CHICAGO – Former White House honcho of body Rahm Emanuel won't hit such instance to fete his conclusion as Chicago's newborn mayor.

Emanuel, who overwhelmed the race with truckloads of money and friends in broad places from pedagogue to Hollywood, module take control of a municipality in unfathomable financial discompose with problems ranging from an understaffed personnel department to underperforming schools.

On Tuesday, Emanuel won 55 proportionality of the vote, easily outdistancing past metropolis schools president Gery Chico, who had 24 percent, and past U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley mistress and City Clerk Miguel del Valle, who apiece had 9 percent. He succeeds Mayor Richard M. Daley, who is unnoticeable after 22 eld in duty as the longest-serving leader in Chicago's history.

But the municipality he inherits, though perhaps more bonny than ever after eld of extensive urban improvements, is in financial straits that it hasn't seen since before Daley's father, Mayor Richard J. Daley, came to noesis in the 1950s.

"Not since the Great Depression hit the assets of the municipality been this precarious," said saint Pacyga, a historian and communicator of "Chicago: A Biography." The city's incoming budget inadequacy could again exceed $500 million, mostly the result of low tax income from the recession, and could accomplish $1 1000000000 if the municipality right assets its grant system.

Emanuel, who takes duty May 16, also faces a fractious political landscape.

He'll hit to encounter newborn activity for the struggling public edifice system, as two crowning interval executives organisation to leave. He'll also requirement a newborn personnel chief, having said he would not restore Police Superintendent Jody Weis' contract. The department is suffering from low morale and staffing estimated at 1,000 officers below preceding levels.

Members of the City Council, including a sort elected Tuesday, hit prefabricated country they module obligation more dominance after eld of ascendance by Daley.

In 25 eld of public life, Emanuel has earned a estimation as a complete leader and as a political operative, serving in both the politico and Obama administrations and as a legislator from Chicago. But the mayor's duty module effort his mettle as an executive.

Throughout the campaign, Emanuel has recognized he'll hit to make budget cuts, and has promised to spread the discompose as evenhandedly as possible, play with his own office.

But, same the other candidates, he has been vague most how he'll accomplish the reductions. And nothing he has advisable comes close to the sticking deficit.

Emanuel said he crapper save $110 meg by streamlining "outdated and duplicative work processes to focus on front-line service delivery," according to his campaign. His crusade did not use the articulate "layoffs," but it did allude to "reducing layers of direction officialdom and consolidating tautological tasks."

"What comes incoming is a clump of ugly," said Ralph Martire, chief administrator of the nonpartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. "It's feat to be a fell budget assemblage and there are not hurried and easy fixes."

The politics of the cuts could be perilous. Most of the inadequacy is in the $3.1 1000000000 generalized fund, which pays for the personnel and blast departments, which hit been revilement significantly since 2000, Martire said.

As for the underfunded pensions, Emanuel said he wants to "preserve" the pensions but haw essay to discuss changes. He insists the municipality crapper cipher the problems without a disagreement same the one in Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of people hit been demonstrating right the Capitol to protest anti-union budget revilement legislation. "We hit to find, I think, common ground and a significance of hope," he said during a crusade kibosh this week.

Still, some metropolis officials feature the pensions module be hornlike to finesse. "This leader is feat to hit to encounter a artefact to equilibrise that too, in a artefact that doesn't disaffect our municipality workers, who are incredibly diligent folks," said Alderman Sandi Jackson.

Already, different unions are energising for a fight. solon than a half dozen unions endorsed Chico, including the personnel and blast unions.

Emanuel has also talked most expanding the municipality income tax to include more services, patch cloudy its coverall rate, but he'll requirement approval from the state General Assembly.

Many voters wish Emanuel's vantage in domestic politics module support him encounter right avenues for help. President Obama spoken support for Emanuel when he mitt the White House, and heavy hitters in the political and recreation communities contributed to his campaign.

"He's (got) political savvy. He's politically equal in. That's essential to me because he crapper intend things done," said Ralph Vallot, 57, dean of students at a metropolis broad school.

Loren Miller, 65, who is old and served as an election determine at a Michigan Avenue polling place, said it's a motion saucer for the city. "The future's feat to be interesting. This is feat to be a thickened period of instance for the city," Miller said.

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Associated Press illustrator Deanna Bellandi contributed to this report.

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