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Joe McMenamin Announces Run for Alderman Ward 7

For Immediate Release
November 16, 2010
Joe McMenamin for Springfield Ward 7 Alderman
Contact: Joe McMenamin
(217) 787-2297

Springfield, IL – On Wednesday Nov. 17, 2010 at 4:15pm at the old K-Mart parking lot on South MacArthur Boulevard, Joe McMenamin will announce his run for Alderman – Springfield Ward 7. Our theme will be “Working together for Ward 7 and the City of Springfield”, and we will show what that means there.

Joe, and his wife Lynn, have lived their entire married life on the near west side of Springfield . They have two children. Ed is a reporter for the Pekin Daily Times and Carolyn is a freshman at the University of Illinois in Champaign . Joe is a self-employed attorney who specialized in tax law for many years. He is a member of the Illinois Army National Guard with 30 years of service and a tour in Afghanistan.

Joe has talked with voters door to door in all Ward 7 neighborhoods. Based on feedback and comments from residents, he is running to achieve these goals:

  • Reinstate the city residency requirement for city employees (with a grandfather clause.)
  • Strengthen and enforce the “boarded-up building” ordinances involving properties such as “old Kmart” on MacArthur Boulevard.
  • Address city sewer problems particularly in older neighborhoods.
  • Forbid city pay spikes to retiring city employees that permanently boost pensions.
  • Stop Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects that shift local public tax funds to private hands that do not need public financing assistance.

“I have circulated nominating petitions in all Ward 7 neighborhoods and the response has been very positive.” McMenamin said.

Ward 7 is a large area encompassing over 10,000 southwest side City residents spanning from Washington Park on the north to Seven Pines Apartments and Sherwood subdivision on the South. Ward 7 encircles Leland Grove and Jerome. It includes Colony West, Montvale, Christ the King, Butler School, Blessed Sacrament and the Outer Park neighborhoods. It stretches along the South MacArthur Boulevard corridor.