Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register
The Springfield City Council was divided Tuesday over whether to devote $20,000 to the Lincoln Funeral Reenactment planned for this spring. The expense, proposed as a budget amendment by four aldermen to help the Lincoln Funeral Coalition fund some aspects of the massive event planned for May, was criticized by other aldermen as something that would set a bad precedent.
“I have nothing against this event. I think it will bring not only national, but international, attention to our city,” said one of the funding’s opponents, Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, who was recently appointed director of the state Office of Tourism.
The four sponsors — Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin and Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen — intended the $20,000 to help the Lincoln Funeral Coalition fund a variety of things related to the planned event, including communications equipment, McMenamin said.
That would be on top of $150,000 worth of in-kind city services included in the proposed budget for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.
McMenamin also charged that the city has already set a precedent by sponsoring the Route 66 Mother Road Festival, which bureau director Gina Gemberling said differed because that was part of a grant through the state tourism office, not money coming directly out of city coffers.
“Our office does not give those types of amounts of dollars to any organization or event happening in the Springfield area,” Gemberling said. “We just don’t have those kind of funds.”
McMenamin characterized Gemberling’s response to the proposal as “antagonistic.” McMenamin pointed to the city’s purchase last year of 40 police cars, and said the $20,000 expenditure is the equivalent of one of those, adding that he thought the figure was “appropriate.”
“I think the coalition needs some financial help,” McMenamin said. “…We’re going to make this up in tourism. If we drop the ball on this, it’s going to be an embarrassment for our city.” That amendment to the city’s proposed fiscal 2016 budget was ultimately approved by aldermen Tuesday.
Aldermen also favored beefing up the amount of money in the budget slated for building demolitions of abandoned properties, adding $33,000 to the $455,000 Mayor Mike Houston proposed.
Aldermen approved both the $20,000 allocation for the Lincoln Funeral Reenactment and raising the amount dedicated to demolishing properties, which will be part of the budget package they are slated to vote on at next week’s city council meeting. The city’s new budget will take effect March 1.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 