Joe McMenamin for Ward 7Retired 12 year alderman on Springfield City Council 2011-2023
The State Journal-Register
Name: Joe McMenamin
Age: 66
Political party: Non-partisan
Education: U of I Champaign 1975. SIU Law 1979. Military schools including; Army NCO and Officer Schools; Army Law School at the University of Virginia; Command and General Staff School, Ft Leavenworth, Kansas; US National Defense University, Washington D.C.
Family: Married 35 years with Lynn, retired District 186 reading/first grade teacher. Two
Bernard Schoenburg
The State Journal-Register
An image of an angry chess player’s hand graces a flier in race for Ward 7 alderman.
“Tantrums are for children …” it says on the mailing from the campaign of BRAD CARLSON. “Alderman JOE McMENAMIN keeps throwing fits during city council meetings when he is questioned and doesn’t get his way. As any good parent knows, this kind of behavior deserves a time out!”
McMenamin, who is seeking his third term and is being challenged by Carlson, calls the flier “a good example of twisted character assassination.”
Staff Report
The State Journal-Register
Alderman Joe McMenamin met with The State Journal-Register editorial board to answer questions about why he’s running and the issues facing the city.
Watch to learn more about Joe’s positions ahead of the April 2 municipal election.
Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
City inspector general Roger Holmes says an email that included a political endorsement of Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin and was sent to all Springfield aldermen by the city council coordinator did not violate city code.
Holmes, a retired judge, said because the inclusion of an endorsement by Michael Higgins, MacArthur Boulevard Association president, was not intended to garner votes, but rather refute a claim made during city council, he did not consider it to be “political activity.” City code says city employees can’t engage in political activity in the workplace.
“If the intent of political activity
The State Journal-Register
Thumbs Up: To the Springfield City Council for approving an ordinance that could put more money toward police and fire pensions.
The pension benefits rightly paid to retired police and firefighters continue to eat up a larger share of the city’s revenue; in fact, all of what the city receives in property taxes goes to those funds. Property taxes will no longer provide enough money for the city to meet the required annual payment, which means elected officials will have to dip into other funds.
An ordinance put forward by Mayor Jim Langfelder, and unanimously approved by council members, would put an additional $600,000 payment into the two funds if the city hits a certain threshold of its
Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
Springfield city officials have asked the inspector general to issue an opinion on how the city should handle candidates running for office who want to speak at public meetings. The issue was prompted by a dispute after a write-in candidate for Ward 3 alderman spoke during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s city council meeting.
Some council members took issue at what they considered a “campaign speech,” while Mayor Jim Langfelder and others said anyone should be allowed to speak during a public comment portion.
Nadine Wright, who is running as a write-in in Ward 3, signed up for
Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
After a 10-year process, the city of Springfield will take over jurisdiction of a half-mile stretch of MacArthur Boulevard, allowing a landowner there to begin preparing lots for possible development near Legacy Pointe.
The city will now oversee the portion of MacArthur starting at Junction Circle and ending where the road turns into farmland and rounds out into Recreation Drive. The transfer from the Illinois Department of Transportation would allow
Cap City
The Illinois Times
Ward 7 Ald. Joe “Lone Ranger” McMenamin lost, again, at Tuesday’s city council meeting. The alderman was the lone dissenter on a 9-1 vote aimed at reeling in the city’s unfunded debt for police and firefighter pensions, which now stands at $350 million. McMenamin wants to lower the expected rate of investment return from 7 percent to 6.7 percent,
Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
The city council Tuesday night passed Mayor Jim Langfelder’s proposed $125 million budget, which doesn’t rely on any new tax increases or include significant cuts to services.
After contentious budget debates prompted by lower revenues and higher costs for the last couple of years, this year’s balanced budget was approved on a 9-1 vote with relatively little public discussion or suggestions for changes. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who has never voted to approve a city budget during his time as a city council member,
Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
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In other action, aldermen moved forward two ordinances that would have the city contributing more money toward pensions for police officers and firefighters.
One ordinance, sponsored by Langfelder, would have the city automatically pay the pension funds whatever is left over once the city hits a certain threshold in its rainy day fund. Based on current projections, if the city hits 0.25 of a percentage point over a 16 percent threshold, that could mean an extra $600,000 split between the two pension funds.
Another ordinance, sponsored by Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, would have the pension fund’s estimated rate of return set at lower
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 