Springfield council adopts new vacancy procedure after hours of debate

The Springfield City Council on Feb. 4 approved an ordinance amending city code to establish a public process for filling vacancies in the offices of mayor, city treasurer and city clerk, passing the measure 5-4.

The ordinance requires the city to post a notice of vacancy that includes eligibility requirements, sets a minimum application period of 13 calendar days after posting, authorizes the deputy treasurer and deputy city clerk to serve as interim officers during the application process, and allows the City Council to appoint an interim official if no deputy or mayor pro tem is available.

Council members said the change is intended to make future vacancy fills more transparent after a contentious 2024 appointment. Alderwoman Notriano, one of the ordinance sponsors, said the procedure is meant to let the public weigh in: "I put this forward as a first draft for you all to comment on," she said during debate.

Opponents pressed that the timeline could leave a city office without an elected official for weeks. Alderwoman Connolly said she was concerned that "three weeks is a long time to go without ... the treasurer — we remember ... how many millions of dollars they process on a regular basis." Supporters and corporation counsel countered that staff and deputies typically can keep day-to-day business running and that the city’s existing consent decree constrains what the council may change.

Corporation Counsel Mordock told councilors the consent decree does not forbid appointing an interim clerk or treasurer in the manner proposed: "We can [appoint an interim], but it's not in there right now. There's nothing that would prohibit it under our consent decree," he said.

The ordinance was amended twice during debate. An early amendment to add deputy deputies in a particular wording failed on a 4-4 (one present) roll call. A revised amendment that (1) requires the job posting to include eligibility requirements, (2) sets the application period to end at midnight on the next regular or special council meeting following the posting but in no event to be less than 13 calendar days, and (3) adds explicit subsections authorizing the deputy treasurer or deputy city clerk to act as interim and permitting the council to appoint an interim if those deputies (or the mayor pro tem) cannot serve — passed 6-3. The ordinance as amended then passed 5-4 on final passage.

Supporters said the ordinance provides a balanced, public process that can be adjusted later, while critics urged additional safeguards to avoid bottlenecks if deputies are absent or leave with an administration. Several councilors urged sponsors and corporation counsel to refine language further for future meetings.

What passed will take effect according to the ordinance language; councilors who sponsored the measure said they will work with corporation counsel on clarifications and contingency language.

Speakers during the debate included Alderwoman Notriano (sponsor), Alderman Gregory, Alderman Donlon, Alderman Hanauer, Alderwoman Connolly, Alderman Purchase, Treasurer Redpath Fager, Corporation Counsel Mordock and Clerk Redpath.

The ordinance amends chapter 30, section 30.04 of the 1988 City of Springfield Code of Ordinances and references the city’s existing consent decree in several exchanges during the debate.

The vote tally on final passage was 5 yes, 4 no.