Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
Aldermen voted Tuesday to give $20,000 to the Springfield Sliders and $8,000 to the city’s two-day Juneteenth celebration from the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau budget.
The SCVB is funded through a lodging tax paid by Springfield hotels and motels. Last week, city officials, along with the Springfield Hotel Lodging Association, expressed concerns the SCVB budget was being raided for items unrelated to tourism and attracting overnight visitors to Springfield, the primary reason for the grants.
Some of the concern about the grant process was assuaged when new SCVB director Scott Dahl said he would re-institute an advisory council made up of representatives from the community and the lodging and restaurant associations. Dahl, who was unanimously approved to be director Tuesday, said he would like to see requests similar to the ones passed Tuesday to be considered as a part of SCVB’s annual budget plan, instead of scattered throughout the year.
Five aldermen — Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner, Ward 4 Ald. John Fulgenzi, Ward 5 Ald. Andrew Proctor, Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen and Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer — sponsored the ordinance to give the Sliders, a summer college baseball league team based at Robin Roberts Stadium, $20,000 for advertising.
Last year, the city gave the Sliders $15,000 for advertising to people within a 60-mile radius of the city. Miller said in 2008, the Sliders had 800 people attend games on average. In 2016, average attendance was 1,600 people, he said.
Aldermen voted 7-3, with Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin in opposition. All three said they were opposed to funding a private business with tax dollars on an ongoing basis.
The ordinance for the Juneteenth Celebration passed 9-1, with McMenamin voting against. The SCVB grant would pay for whole celebration’s budget.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 