Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register
The Springfield City Council on Tuesday carved away almost $7 million in proposed spending from City Water, Light and Power, then passed a nearly $600 million city budget that funds inspector general services. The city-owned utility’s budget proposal from Mayor Jim Langfelder’s administration saw the most drastic changes in the finalized spending plan aldermen passed at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin cast the only vote against the city’s overall spending plan, which takes effect March 1.
The budget also includes up to $50,000 in contractual funds for inspector general services, which is much lower than the original cost for the watchdog role when it was proposed as a full-time position. Langfelder supported the $50,000 cost, which will go toward looking into alleged wrongdoing in city government.
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After all of the amendments, the final budget the council passed was for more than $597 million, close to $5 million leaner than the more than $602 million spending proposal that Langfelder rolled out last month.
Tuesday’s budget discussion was spirited at times, especially when it came to the new economic development positions and the city’s pension debt.
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McMenamin continued on Tuesday to urge more of a focus on the city’s underfunded pensions. He said there are “lots of good things in this budget,” but emphasized that city leaders “need to address the structural deficit” by both curbing spending and identifying new revenue sources to be able to draw down the pension debt. “We should prepare honest budgets and live within our means,” McMenamin said.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 