Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
With Capital Township voters approving an advisory referendum last week to dissolve the township and hand over its responsibilities to Sangamon County, what will happen next is still up in the air.
Township officials will discuss the next steps at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, according to one trustee.
Meanwhile, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said he will continue to work toward gathering signatures to put the question of whether the township should merge with the city on April’s ballot.
The township — responsible for providing emergency assistance, assessing property and collecting property taxes — has virtually the same boundaries as the city of Springfield. However, it’s unique among Illinois townships in that the township assessor and supervisor are the Sangamon County clerk and treasurer, respectively.
Of the 42,652 township residents who voted, 31,851 answered “yes” to the question, “Shall Capital Township pursue a full merger with Sangamon County?”
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City merger
The mayor tried to put a question of whether the township should merge with the city on the November ballot, but the plan failed on a split vote by city council members.
Still, Langfelder, along with Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, said they will collect petition signatures to get the question on the April ballot.
Langfelder argued city council members are more responsive to the needs of Capital Township voters than county board members who live outside of Springfield. Plus, a city-township merger would present fewer obstacles since the city would not need specialized legislation, he said.
Last week, Langfelder renewed his pledge even after seeing Tuesday’s election results.
While some said having competing ballot questions can confuse voters, Langfelder said it has caused more public awareness about where their property tax dollars are going.
The competition among two governments has prompted the county to find more savings, he said. He said when the city claimed it could find $500,000 in savings, the county countered with its $685,000 estimate.
Langfelder said no matter what happens, the city and county can agree on the need for consolidation.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 