Springfield City Council

Springfield City Council covered a lot in one night. If you care about the budget, pensions, how meetings are run, local media or police transparency, this one’s worth a watch.

Springfield City Council had a range of topics this week — from promoting downtown to confronting hard truths. If you care about downtown vitality and public safety, this one’s worth your time.

A proposed sale of eight city-owned lots to the Urban League hit pause — then came a pointed plea to keep it moving. Watch for the clash between urgency and process, and how “hold it” vs. “prove it” shaped the night.

The council heard a lot about housing, accountability and how last week’s landlord registry vote went down. If you care about safe housing, fair process, and who answers when things go wrong, this one’s worth a watch.

The council weighed whether to put landlord licensing and inspections on the ballot — and it got intense. What you’ll see: Related Curious how five votes didn’t pass an ordinance — and why the mayor voted without a tie? Watch the breakdown and the back-and-forth on rules, accountability and what’s next for housing standards in […]

The council spent most of the night on one question: Should voters weigh in on a landlord licensing/registry proposal by way of a referendum this March? Highlights you’ll hear: If you rent, own, manage or care about safe housing, this one’s worth a watch — and yes, the council wants people at the upcoming sessions […]

The council wrestled with a tough trade-off: push ahead on a greenway or hold the line for long-promised 19th Street rail corridor work. Staff warned that slowing greenway work during the 19th Street feasibility study could risk losing $2.7 million from a $10 million grant. One alderman pushed back hard, saying the east side has […]

Tonight’s council meeting zeroed in on 19th St.: neighbors asked for timelines, parity with other corridors and action now. The board heard that focus is shifting from 10th Street to 19th and Third streets, with outreach and a feasibility study planned — but frustration boiled over about delays and safety. What you’ll see: You’ll also […]

Years after a stalled push, the council got a fresh, formal move toward landlord licensing and rental inspections. One alderman said the ordinance is ready to start the process and asked colleagues to take it seriously this time. What you’ll hear: You’ll also hear a powerful appeal for justice and civic action: honoring Sonya Massey, […]

Before business began, the council paused for a moment of silence to honor recent losses in the community. They also marked Indigenous Peoples Day with a local shout-out: exhibits on Native American history are up now at the Illinois State Museum, featuring hide paintings, photography and beaded textiles. Public comment brought tough questions. Residents urged […]

Springfield City Council got intense. Lots of tough topics, real emotion and calls for accountability. Watch to see what happened and where the council may be headed next.