Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
A resolution to add an advisory referendum to the November ballot on whether the city of Springfield should absorb Capital Township was tabled by a 6-4 vote of city council members during Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
To pull a resolution from committee once it’s tabled requires a supermajority vote of council members, which equals seven votes. The deadline for getting the question placed on the ballot is Aug. 20, and unless council members revisit the issue next week, the question most likely won’t be added.
The question would compete with one already on November’s ballot, asking whether the township should be absorbed into Sangamon County. The county and township have a unique partnership under state law: the Sangamon County clerk acts as the township’s assessor and the Sangamon County treasurer serves as the township’s supervisor of assessments.
Capital Township is one of a few townships that have boundaries that run parallel with a municipality. In January, a law went into effect allowing cities to absorb coterminous townships if both the city and township vote to do so. Both the referendum placed by the county or the one proposed by the city would gauge the voter’s opinion, but would not bind either entity to taking on township responsibilities.
Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, Ward 2 Ald. Herman Senor, Ward 5 Ald. Andrew Proctor, Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen, Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelan and Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer voted to table the ordinance.
Mayor Jim Langfelder championed the city referendum, saying it was a way to reduce a duplication of services and property tax burden. An analysis by budget director Bill McCarty found about $500,000 in savings if the city were to take over the township.
McCarty disagreed with Hanauer’s assertion that the city budget would be affected. The township has its own revenue stream through a property tax levy. If the city were to dissolve the township, it would still have the taxing authority, and revenue for township services would be kept separate from the city’s general revenue fund. Savings would happen to township residents if the city were to reduce the property tax levy, he said.
“It’s a misnomer to think that the city’s financial position or the corporate fund has anything to do with this discussion,” McCarty said. ”… We are talking about utilizing existing personnel and space in order to absorb the services that are the township level at the city or the county.”
Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner, Ward 4 Ald. John Fulgenzi, Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin voted against tabling the ordinance.
“I hope the voters remember which aldermen don’t want to hear from the voters,” McMenamin said. ”… I think that’s a really shameful outcome.”
***
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 