Longtime Springfield alderperson Chuck Redpath was appointed city clerk Jan. 7 by a divided City Council after a raucous, two-hour-long meeting in which several council members and the public said the process was rushed, unfair and corrupt.
The vote for Redpath was 5-3, with two alderpersons voting “present.”
Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano wiped away tears after the council turned down her plea to delay for at least a week a decision to fill the clerk position after the New Year’s Eve resignation of former clerk Frank Lesko.
“As it stands right now, we’re going to allow back room deals to determine who’s going to be our next city clerk,” she said before the final vote. “It just doesn’t sit well with me.”
She added: “It’s not becoming of us as a group, it is not becoming of this city as a democracy to not have an open process to select the city clerk. … This is an elected, citywide office, and the people deserve to have a say.”
But Ward 7 Ald. Brad Carlson, who voted for Redpath, said the public had five or six weeks’ notice to notify the mayor or an alderperson if any others were interested in the $89,685-a-year position. The process was proper, Carlson said.
Notariano said the city was legally allowed up to 60 days after Lesko’s resignation to fill the clerk position.
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Ward 4 Ald. Larry Rockford said, “What’s the rush? The job’s going to be there. If other people are going to apply for this, let’s give them their due diligence and let them apply.”
Mayor Misty Buscher cast the deciding vote to break a 5-5 tie and defeat Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams’ proposal to put off the appointment, discuss the issue at the Jan. 14 committee-of-the-whole meeting and then take a final vote at a future council meeting.
“It really ain’t right,” Williams said.
Redpath’s appointment also followed a 3-5 vote defeating Notariano’s last-minute proposal to appoint former Sangamon County recorder Josh Langfelder as city clerk instead of Redpath.
Republican Lesko’s 31-vote defeat of Langfelder, a Democrat, in the Nov. 5 countywide election for recorder triggered Lesko’s eventual resignation as city clerk. Langfelder is the brother of former Mayor Jim Langfelder, whom Buscher defeated in the April 2023 city election.
Redpath, who at one time was a Democrat but now is a Republican, backed Buscher in the nonpartisan municipal election.
Voting in favor of Redpath as clerk were Redpath himself, as well as Carlson and alderpersons Erin Conley of Ward 8, Jim Donelan of Ward 9 and Ralph Hanauer of Ward 10. Voting “no” were Williams, Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory and Ward 4 Ald. Larry Rockford. Voting “present” were Notariano and Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase.
There were groans and questions raised in the audience when Redpath was allowed to vote for his own appointment. But Gregory Moredock, the city’s chief legal counsel, said after the meeting that Redpath was acting legally.
Moredock referred to the 1987 federal consent decree that changed the city to an aldermanic form of government from the commission form. The court document says an alderperson is eligible to fill a city clerk vacancy and “may participate in the vote taken to fill the vacancy.”
Springfield resident Ken Pacha told the council during a public comment period that the appointment process installing Redpath “makes you guys look corrupt.”
Several members of the audience shouted their criticism of Redpath and his supporters on the council during the meeting, prompting Buscher to call for order and threaten to have audience members removed.
Springfield resident Tom Shafer told the council he supported Redpath’s bid for clerk and commended Redpath for his service to the city and his military service in the U.S. Air Force and Illinois Air National Guard. Shafer noted that Redpath, a graduate of Lanphier High School, is a member of that school’s hall of fame.
Notariano said during the meeting that she wasn’t surprised by the reaction from several people in the audience who were upset about the appointment process.
“Unfortunately, this is what happens when people are put in a position where they feel like their voices aren’t being heard,” she said.
Redpath, 68, a retired state worker and former police officer who represents Ward 1 and has served two different stints on the council, totaling 30 years, said after the meeting that he looked forward to concluding his career in public service as clerk. He said he doesn’t plan to run for election as clerk when the term is up in April 2027.
Redpath said he gets along with all of the council members. He attributed the split vote to political pressure from different segments of the community.
He said he plans to replace vacant positions in the clerk’s office and upgrade procedures to reduce stress on the clerk’s other employees and improve the office’s operations, including the processing of Freedom of Information Act requests.
Redpath said after the meeting that he was upset when members of the public criticized his family members.
His daughter, Colleen Redpath Feger, is the elected city treasurer and is married to a City Water, Light and Power supervisor. Redpath’s son, Chuck Redpath Jr., is a city police officer. Redpath’s brother, a former Public Works zoning manager, was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and aggravated assault in the early 2000s and in the 1990s, respectively.
“It was very hard to take,” Chuck Redpath said of the public comments.
Redpath acknowledged that he has walked out of some council meetings over the past year when members of the public attacked him and other council members. Tensions at council meetings have risen in the wake of increased scrutiny by the public involving allegations of police brutality, inequitable policing and favoritism toward certain city employees.
“I’m gonna listen to you all day,” Redpath said. “I’m not going to sit up here and let you call me a corrupt politician or a racist or anything else, because I’m not.”
He said he won’t walk out of any more meetings now that he is the city clerk.
Members of the public also criticized Redpath for his connection with Springfield businessman Frank Vala, who helped to finance Buscher’s campaign and has contributed to Redpath’s campaign coffers.
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Redpath said Vala’s financial support never influenced his votes as an alderperson.
The turmoil on the council and in the audience Jan. 7 followed a tumultuous election that resulted in Lesko unseating Josh Langfelder. Langfelder, the lone Democrat holding countywide elected office in Sangamon County, decided on Dec. 26 not to pursue a petition seeking a full recount of votes in the recorder’s race.
At a City Council meeting held prior to Lesko’s resignation, the mayor said she was accepting resumes from people interested in the clerk position and would forward those resumes to alderpersons. She said at the Jan. 7 meeting she had not heard from anyone interested in being considered besides Redpath.
The consent decree doesn’t call for a specific evaluation process by the council for people interested in filling such a vacancy, Moredock said. The decree simply says the vacancy is filled by a vote of the council, and the point at which Lesko departed didn’t require a special election to be held, Moredock said.
Notariano and several other alderpersons said they thought the council wouldn’t take a final vote on a replacement so quickly. She and others said the city should have done more to inform the public about an application and deliberation process.
In addition to Langfelder, another city resident, John P. Thomas, was interested in being considered for the job, Notariano said. But she said she “didn’t know how to handle that” because she was told by other council members that there was nothing to discuss until Lesko resigned as clerk.
Another city resident, Aaron Cahill, said during the public comment section that he was interested in applying but didn’t know how and didn’t see anything on the city’s website. “The process was never defined,” he said.
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For those of us who watch the city council specifically to see democrats melt down, last night’s meeting was beyond epic.
I loved how Aldermen Gregory and Williams’ complaints evolved from literally yelling at Frank Lesko to hurry up and resign to “Why not wait two more weeks, what’s the rush?”
Alderman Purchase is really starting to grow on me. I enjoyed how she basically called out her democrat colleagues after they wasted two hours on their temper tantrums. She clearly doesn’t have the internal anger that Gregory, Williams, Rockford, and Notariano are coping with.
Alderman Notariano futilely nominating the defeated Josh Langfelder for city clerk was a cherry on top followed by a chef’s kiss that even I couldn’t have scripted.
And of course, the meltdowns from the peanut gallery were exceptional as well. Much better than usual. In particular, I enjoyed the rant from Miss Freeman followed by Alderman Redpath saying “Better get a lawyer.” LOL.
By the way, this is not an “unclear process”. It’s a very clear and defined process. The democrats are angry because the process which is in place resulted in republicans getting a win. Democrats simply can’t handle any republican getting any kind of a win, ever.
When democrats get to appoint, it’s fine and dandy. When republicans get to appoint, we urgently need to invent a new application process or hold a special election.
Why anyone partially a woman would vote in favor of Redpath is disgusting. A present vote is a YES vote. If they were so sure of Redpath why not wait another week to let the public weigh in? Others to apply ?
This also shows the real Misty Buchner; she could have broken the tie to send
this back to committee, but instead voted for Redpath.
The rest of you that voted yes really should be ashamed of yourselves.
This is why people move out of the city or do not vote, so disgusted with how this city is strangled with the same retreads of power.
Hi Paul Barker1,
You wrote, “This is why people move out of the city or do not vote, so disgusted with how this city is strangled with the same retreads of power.”
This is obviously not true, you are being dramatic.
0.1% of the population of Springfield watches city council meetings. The people who regularly watch city council meetings are deeply interested in politics as a hobby.
Most voters don’t even have a casual interest in politics and everything they know about politics is what they read in headlines or chyrons.
Plus, half of the people watching last night were laughing along with me at the unhinged behavior of some of those speakers, and had no problem with the appointment.
So, in a city of 100,000+, there are probably a few dozen people who were “disgusted” by the city council making this totally routine and mundane appointment.
Allow me to make a prediction: when a new alderman is appointed for ward 1, the same people in the peanut gallery will be back, and they will behave in the exact same manner.
Doesn’t matter one bit who the person is. They will cry about how we should have a special election and the unfairness of the process. They will insult the city council, the appointee, and the appointee’s friends and family as cruelly as they can. Because they can’t tolerate anyone other than a woke democrat having any power.
The mayor might have a little trouble getting her nominee confirmed. Alderman Purchase is definitely a swing vote. I’m not sure what Alderman Conley will do. I was surprised that she backed this vote. The other four are as predictable as the sunset. So the mayor needs to win over Purchase and Conley to get her nominee in.
Hey Burger Addict, why don’t you use your real name, Danny? Oh, oops.
Yes, it is true Springfield, Sangamon County, and the state are losing population; Springfield has lost thousands of people, including 3 car plants worth of jobs, since 2006.
Have you sobered up yet to realize that so-called Democrats voted in favor of the person in question?
There is absolutely nothing funny about an alleged habitual woman abuser. Or the other antics that were brought up, no one was laughing.
Your disdain of the peanut gallery is also a rip on democracy and free and open government.
If you think you’re going to get points standing up for these people, you’re wrong. This is the beginning of the end of the long-held power by just a few that are still here and the minions that serve them.
Hi Paul Barker 1,
You wrote,
“Yes, it is true Springfield, Sangamon County, and the state are losing population; Springfield has lost thousands of people, including 3 car plants worth of jobs, since 2006.”
I’m aware that Illinois’ population is shrinking. It has nothing to do with the Springfield city council. Democrat politicians ruin literally everything that they touch. Most of the people who left Illinois went to a red state. I’d challenge you to name one thing that the democrats have ever improved but I already know that would be an impossible task.
You wrote,
“Have you sobered up yet to realize that so-called Democrats voted in favor of the person in question?”
I already wrote that I was surprised about Alderman Conley voting yes. She’s as woke as any of them so I don’t understand why she did that. And I agree with you that a “present” vote is functionally the same as a yes. Alderman Notariano would probably disagree. Alderman Purchase might agree. But I don’t know what your point is with that comment anyway.
You wrote,
“There is absolutely nothing funny about an alleged habitual woman abuser. Or the other antics that were brought up, no one was laughing.”
Oh, I promise you that I was laughing while the women from the peanut gallery were speaking. Last night, the woke brigade reached new heights in melting down. The women who spoke were totally unhinged.
Of course we had Miss Freeman who had her mic cut off because she was so outrageous, and was warned by Mr. Redpath to “get a lawyer”, but don’t forget about Miss Eilers who yelled at two random women with dyed blonde hair because they were “steering into whiteness”. LOL, I’m laughing again just recounting that. And something about Trump is gonna put her in a gas chamber. LMAO!
You wrote,
“Your disdain of the peanut gallery is also a rip on democracy and free and open government.”
You are laughably wrong about this. Not only do I love the fact that people can speak to the city council, but I also think it’s great that the woke brigade goes up there every week and does nothing but complain, hurl insults, and repeat woke talking points like muppets.
They aren’t doing any favors for themselves or their cause. It allows a squishy republican like Mayor Buscher the ability to give herself permission to do what she wants because the people opposing her and insulting her are so awful. And it’s great entertainment for me.
They think their bellowing makes them into heroes because they are total narcissists who, by default, see themselves as the height of morality and intelligence even though they are at the bottom of the barrel. Clearly, nobody in that group has read the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.
You wrote,
“If you think you’re going to get points standing up for these people, you’re wrong.”
LOL. I’m well aware that I’m not going to get “points” on the Illinois Times by standing up for republicans. I try to tell the truth and do what’s right. Both of those things are very unpopular with the woke brigade.
You wrote,
“why don’t you use your real name, Danny? Oh, oops.”
My name isn’t Danny. Guess again! You won’t guess correctly, because I’m a random nobody who couldn’t possibly be on your radar.
The reason I use a screen name instead of my real name is because the woke brigade loves political violence and some of the people who speak at city council openly celebrate political violence and are convicted felons who have been convicted of violent acts. What would I have to gain by volunteering my name to such a wicked group of people?
Danny the Burger addict.
if you wanted to keep who you are anonymous, you should have hid your ISP number
“What would I have to gain by volunteering my name to such a wicked group of people”?
Simple answer credibility & accountability otherwise you are as bad as the people you defend and you should expect nothing
Hi Paul Barker 1,
You wrote,
“Simple answer credibility & accountability otherwise you are as bad as the people you defend and you should expect nothing”
Don’t worry, I already expect nothing but evil from the woke brigade. It’s all they are capable of. They love what’s wrong and hate what’s right.
It’s amazing that you think I care whether or not the worst people in America find me credible. The people who the woke brigade considers “credible” are morally bankrupt.
If the woke brigade ever finds me “credible” then I’ll know that I have gone really far wrong.
I asked you what I have to GAIN by volunteering my name to a group of people who love political violence?
Will you please explain to me what I have to GAIN?
Being a victim of woke political violence and attempts to ruin my life is not a GAIN.
It’s easy for a leftist to post under their real name because 100% of political violence emanates from the left. They are in no danger because they are the source of political violence.
So, let me get this straight:
When Redpath gets nominated for a vacant position, its relevant to point out his family’s employment with the City, and who he supported for Mayor and who supported him. But its not worth pointing out that the Langfelders staffed their offices with family members, and that Larry Rockford is their brother-in-law? Or that Gregory and Williams backed both Langfelders in their elections?
And just a few weeks ago, Williams and Gregory were castigating Lesko for not resigning his position from City Clerk because of the impact it has on the City Clerk’s office, but Williams here would like to see the office sit vacant?
And how can Notriano say we need more time and transparency, when she herself motioned to appoint Josh Langfelder the same night? And Williams and Gregory voted for it! They can’t even stay consistent with their principles through one meeting.
Its been nothing but sour grapes from the Langfelder crew since they lost their elections and are now faced with the prospect of having to find real jobs.
Henry Lowell,
What an ignorant comment. People are upset because the whole process was shady, and came from an administration that ran on TRANSPARENCY. Had Frank Lesko resigned when he was elected, citizens would’ve had the opportunity to vote for City Clerk in a special election. The delay of his resignation was calculated, as was the appointment of Redpath. Redpath was parading around his “replacement” at fundraisers back in November, prior to it even being discussed how a clerk would be selected.
Not sure what you mean by “real jobs” either. Do you know how big the Langfelder family is? Have you met any of them? I have and they’ve never been anything but kind. Sad to say I can’t say the same for several of the other “political” families in this town. Several of the family members work(ed) in critical roles in this community as teachers, nurses, and first responders. Humor me though, what offices were staffed by Langfelder relatives…?
What is wild is that the 2 fake dems, Conley and Donnelan, voted for Redpath over Langfelder. Not only that, neither could even lift their head up when voting but rather looked straight down as if they had their tail between their legs. From a political standpoint, that’s probably career ending because neither should get any future support from Sangamon County Dems for going on with the charade of jamming an unqualified Redpath into the Clerk’s seat. I guess they could always party hop like their friend Misty, if they have anything in common it’s that all 3 are willing to say anything to constituents to garner support and do the exact opposite. Buscher running on transparency is laughable at this point and she may be the most corrupt citywide elected official since Donelan’s buddy Davlin. Couple peas in a corrupt pod.
On the note of choosing between Josh Langfelder vs Chuck Redpath for Clerk, I’m not sure it was necessarily about him losing the Recorder’s race but rather trying to make the point that there are other people out there much more qualified than Redpath. Langfelder has nearly 2 decades of experience handling Records, what’s Chuck’s experience? Also, someone please explain why Chuck’s plan for the office to spend taxpayer dollars to hire people to do his job and modernize the office back into the “twentieth century” shows he’s anyway qualified to be appointed?
@ Henry Lowell
Great post, well said, because this really is about alleged habitual woman abuser, not the last election that so many want it to be.
This does show where the Mayor and others really stand.
Which is what we are seeing: the last gasp of the overaged so-called political machine that’s down to mostly stooges and minions.
Springfield needs new, fresh leadership. not retreads of the past that suffer from delusions of grandeur like both Langfelders suffer from.
The dismal results are right outside the door.
A record increase in the poverty rate. A record amount of population decrease. A record amount of blight,
The unfunded $600+ million health/pension fund that continues to grow unabated A record amount of government spending for social programs that are destroying private investment.
There is not a tax increase that the Mayor and council don’t like.
Whatever your political stripes are, clearly this policy is not working.
The real question is why Springfield residents don’t rebel even more and recall rogue politicians and pass initiatives to roll back ridiculous programs, tax increases, and pay raises that we just can’t afford.
I honestly do not know anyone in personal, work, neighborhood, or other contexts that agrees with any of the citys major plans or programs in the last 12-16 years!
On the contrary, most people are furious as hell. Elected leaders can’t deny the failure; just look outside the window!