Retired May 5, 2023

Joe’s Guest Ed Op in the Illinois Times for the July 23, 2020 issue (page 3). The photos include Joe with his hut mates in Afghanistan (2003-2004), and the high school rec team Joe coached several years in Springfield prior to deployment.

Much Progress in 40 Years, but Challenges Remain.

Last week, Larry Golden wrote a GUESTWORK column concerning discrimination in the composition of Springfield boards and commissions and concluded that not much has changed with “power and decision making” since the 1986 Voting Rights lawsuit of which he was a significant participant. See “Board and commissions matter,” July 16 at illinoistimes.com.

But consider:

In 1986 the commission form of government produced five white men living on the west side. Today the city council consists of 10 alderpersons geographically representing every area of Springfield, including two African Americans and three women, and for several months in 2019 included four women.
The west side of Springfield is increasingly diverse, and according to the 2010 census, west side wards 6, 7 and 8 have 20% nonwhite residents.
In 1986, African Americans were severely underrepresented on boards and commissions. Today, 25% of board and commission members are African American.
As recently as 2013, only 8% of municipal city jobs were filed by African Americans. Today African Americans hold 14% of city jobs and affirmative recruitment continues to improve racial balance.
This year, Mayor Jim Langfelder successfully created the Housing Policy Council with goals to increase home ownership among lower income Springfield residents and redevelop hundreds of empty east side lots. He appointed four African Americans to this eight-member body, and five members from the eastern half of Springfield.

One of the nominees to Housing Policy Council was west sider Dean Graven, a Republican and a 2019 Ward 8 aldermanic Candidate. He is a respected leader in the home building field who is committed to affordible housing.

When our mayor nominated Graven in April, there was no city rule prohibiting a resident serving on two board and commissions simultaneously. So, I thought it was unfair for the council to then block the mayor’s nomination retroactively this month by passing an ordinance in midstream that did so.

The SJ-R reported that double membership on board and commissions is a rare problem and found only two instances of the 173 volunteers now serving.

A geographic diversity argument for blocking his nomination to the Housing Policy Council also seemed inapplicable, since Mayor Langfelder met that goal.

On the night of July 7 at council, I attempted to say that Graven’s outstanding qualifications overrode concerns regarding double membership and his west side residency. In doing so, I was interrupted, and my words were rephrased in ways I never intended. Even so, I accept that my words offended some and I apologized that night and again a week later.

My wife and I love Springfield an have lived in six different wards filled with diverse and generous neighbors. We support economic opportunities for African Americans, social justice and strengthening underservevd neighborhoods. I led the campaign for the 2012 Residency Referendum that increases African American job opportunities with city government, and would require police officers to live in the city they patrol. East side neighborhoods strongly support residency. I serverd with diverse members of the National Guard for 30 years, deploying to Afghanistan in 2004 with one of the most integrated Chicago units. I have supported the Springfield Public Schools, coached diverse teams in recreational basketball and financially contribued to many groups that promote opportunity.

With all this in mind, it is particularly upsetting recently to be called ugly names in social media and face false accusations by some prominent politically affiliated Springfieldians. This is not the Springfield we know and love.

During my nine years serving on the city council, I have done my best to diligently represent Ward 7 constituents and advance policies that beset serve all citizens in the long run. Springfield is making progress, but there is more work to be done. Central Illinois is not immune from broad national trends concentrating wealth and income among narrowing strata of the population. That heightens concerns over those left behind.

Now we face a worldwide pandemic that will worsen these trends. Hard times may be coming.

We need unity and cooperation and I pledge to do my part.

— Joe

This is an editorial Joe wrote in the 2019 aldermanic race for reelection.

2019 Race for Reelection – Joe’s Campaign Kickoff!

My eldest brother produced this video. He drove into Springfield from above I80 on Sept 26, 2018 to attend our W7 Fundraiser at VFW Post 755.

Thanks to all who were able to attend. It was a relaxing evening, with good conversation, plenty of goodwill, and a piece of pie for everyone.

Thanks brother Bob for the video, and for giving a ride to our sister Mary Pat who cut and served 20 pies from County Market.

Brother Bob is known in our family of 12 siblings for his birth exactly 9 months after Dad returned to USA from Europe with the 12th Armored Division in late 1945. My eldest sister Madeline was born earlier in 1944 when Dad was on Normandy Beach.

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Springfield residents on hook for $500 million in local retirement debt – November 28, 2017

Wirepoints
Ted Dabrowski

In 2014, I presented to Springfield’s City Council the ominous findings of a pension report I had recently authored. The report warned of increasing stress on Springfield taxpayers due to rising local pension costs. It also warned of worsening work and retirement security for government workers as the local crisis deepened. Springfield ranked 112 out of 114 cities from across Illinois in terms of fiscal health due to pensions.

Springfield residents were already paying a price to make way for rising government worker pension costs. Three library branches had been shuttered and 20 employees cut. At least 24 sworn police officers had been laid off. And residents in neighborhoods with crumbling sidewalks and growing potholes had to wait longer for repairs – the city had 60 fewer public works positions then than it did in 2008.

Unfortunately, the response from local officials to the report wasn’t one of urgency. Instead, Read the rest of this entry »

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Alderman McMenamin discusses City budgets and pensions

2/23/2016 – Joey McLaughlin and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin talk city budget and pensions on WTAX’s podcast Morning Newswatch – Length: 5:37
http://wtax.com/podcasts/ward-7-alderman-joe-mcmenamin-on-city-pensions/

Ald McMenamin Speaks on the City Pension Problem – Feb. 2014

Aldermen and big money – Oct. 12, 2017

The Illinois Times
Op-Ed by Joe McMenamin

When Springfield City Council members repeatedly accept large campaign contributions from the same serial donors year after year, they invariably compromise their impartiality and subordinate the general interest to special interests. Last month, several serial givers held a “thank you” event for a quorum of aldermen. The event was exceptional in its boldness, notoriety and legal recklessness.

Background

The Springfield City Council took two important votes this year of great interest to certain developers and union business managers.

In May, aldermen pushed through an ordinance on a 9-1 vote which freed developers from future city council oversight (and thus also freed them from neighborhood association input) on most large-scale development projects.

On Sept. 5, the city council voted 9-1 to extend the County/City Enterprise Zone in the Pawnee area. This ordinance will give Emberclear an estimated $50 million in construction cost tax subsidies to build a planned natural gas power plant that will compete directly with CWLP Read the rest of this entry »

Joe’s Focus as Ward 7 Alderman

Refocus City government priorities to strengthen neighborhoods.

Reinstate the city residency requirement for all new City hires including all new police hires.

Strengthen and enforce ordinances related to vacant, neglected, and “boarded” buildings.

Establish a long-term sewer improvement and financing plan for neighborhoods.

End municipal pension abuses.

Add sidewalk and/or improved shoulders along parts of Old Jacksonville Road west of Washington Park.
Stabilize CWLP Finances

My Pledge to Ward 7 Voters

building weeds before Campaign Announcement at K-Mart November 14, 2010 — Former K-Mart Building Nov. 2010 – Now Hy-Vee Site

I will work hard and be a full time public servant/watchdog on the City Council.
I will actively serve Ward 7 constituents, and be available in person, by phone, and by email.