Thank you to Illinois Times for covering the city of Springfield’s annual budget (“An overview of Springfield’s finances,” March 4). Now that the budget has passed, I want to make four factual points to address misstatements made in the recent Guestwork by police union negotiator David Amerson (“Saving money on police costs safety,” Feb. 19). The opinion piece uses the drop in public safety applicants with zero context to make false accusations in an attempt to mislead the public.
National effects
The drop in public safety applicants beginning in 2020 was due to the national impact resulting from the killing of George Floyd and COVID-19. Then-Chief Kenneth Scarlette told the State Journal-Register on May 6, 2022, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (to see) what’s going on in this country, with the onset of COVID, the George Floyd riots, police reform in the state of Illinois – all of those are factors to be taken into consideration when it comes to prospective candidates. Springfield being short on candidates is not an anomaly to law enforcement. We’re seeing that nationwide.”
During the pandemic, training classes for new recruits were canceled, delaying the hiring process. Despite the challenges, the city and the Springfield Police Department stepped up to make sure Springfield was properly protected, which included a revised schedule and effective resource management. Unlike other cities that experienced broad issues of vandalism and fires during protests, Springfield did not. This was largely due to the SPD leadership, under the direction of Chief Kenny Winslow, and the training our officers received and their commitment to serve the public trust, which was fortified by the city administration.
No lower standards
Amerson’s inaccurate statement that the Springfield police and fire departments “were hiring anyone that had a pulse” and that hiring standards were lowered is a false and absurd claim that is an insult to the officers and firefighters that serve our community and to Springfield. At no time did the city of Springfield or the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board reduce testing and hiring requirements.
In 2016, we became classified as a Class One fire department, which only 3% of the departments nationwide achieve. Both the Springfield police and fire department recruits go through rigorous and extensive state-mandated training before achieving the honor of wearing the badge. In fact, not all recruits make it through because the duties are not for the faint of heart. The importance of maintaining hiring and training standards is demonstrated by the recent Sonya Massey tragedy and the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
Improved technology
There was no “cramming wages down the throats of our first responders,” as Amerson inaccurately stated. The police union can contest wages via an independent arbitrator. When I became mayor in 2015, reduced staffing levels were already in place. Despite zero-growth budgets, we were faced with the difficult and unpopular reality to raise taxes or lay off employees. In 2017, we made additional cuts with no layoffs and raised taxes. Those actions, along with good faith union contract negotiations, helped stabilize the corporate fund.
Despite the financial impacts of going two years without a state budget, followed by the pandemic, we were able to bring 21st century technology to the SPD. In 2016, Springfield was the first city outside of Chicago to introduce body cameras, which helped build the level of trust between the police department and our community and proved beneficial to both.
After George Floyd’s death and during the onset of COVID-19, some cities were experiencing layoffs and demands to defund the police. Springfield went forward with zero layoffs and we funded the SPD with technological advancements in ShotSpotter, license plate readers and integrated ballistic analytics. This ensured that officers were better equipped to respond faster and help resolve crimes.
A Jan. 26, 2024, SJR article quoted then-Deputy Chief Sara Pickford, who said, “Technology like SoundThinking, formerly known as ShotSpotter, has allowed officers to get to scenes quicker.” In a May 22, 2025, SJR article, Chief Joseph Behl called ShotSpotter tool “invaluable” and said, “It gets us to these locations much quicker.”
Growing deficits
Time will tell what comes of the budgetary structural deficit. The deficit has grown every year over the last three budgets from a few million, to $12 million, to now $24 million. According to the current administration, there is a projected $28 million deficit next year. After concerns were raised about long-term reserve fund projections two years ago, the current administration and Springfield City Council unnecessarily borrowed $10 million to prop up future reserve projections. That is a gigantic red flag.
If they hire and spend as they budget, the next mayor and City Council will have a massive financial challenge rivaling or surpassing the 2010 Great Recession. As pointed out by the former budget director, the solution to this looming financial catastrophe has no pleasant outcome: budget cuts or new taxes.
Jim Langfelder served as Springfield city treasurer from 2003 to 2015. He was then elected mayor in 2015 and served two terms before being defeated in for a third term in 2023 by Misty Buscher.
This article appears in March 26 – April 1, 2026.
