FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield takes a look back at events large and small from 2017 in the annual Year-In-Review video online at the City’s website.
The year’s significant events include the election of Mayor Ken McClure and reelection of Council members Phyllis Ferguson, Craig Fishel, Craig Hosmer and Jan Fisk (who was appointed Mayor Pro Tem by her colleagues). Councilman Richard Ollis was also appointed in 2017 to McClure’s vacated General D seat.
Other highlights included:
• Renewal of the Level Property Tax with 75% voter approval.
• Selection of new department head leaders: Darla Morrison, Director of Human Resources; David Holtmann, Director of Finance; Larry Woods, Director of the Office of Emergency Management, Clay Goddard, Director of Health and David Pennington, Fire Chief.
• $500,000 in specific neighborhood improvements, thanks to a competitive grant process funded by the voter-approved ¼-cent capital improvements sales tax. (Neighborhood Works)
• National Reaccreditation of the Public Works and Environmental Services departments.
• Record-breaking attendance at the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival (53,000) and many other special events.
• The return of Kearney Street Cruising and plan to redevelop the Kearney Street Corridor.
• Agreement with Greene County on the housing of municipal inmates.
• More than 60 projects completed as part of the Zone Blitz and the launch of Prosper Springfield, a collective-impact-model initiative created to unify the community’s efforts to lift people out of poverty.
• Receiving an unmodified opinion, the highest level given, on the City’s financial statement audit from the City’s independent auditing firm, RSM and continued clean reports from the Citizens' Tax Oversight Committee.
# # #
For more information, contact Cora Scott at 417-380-3352.