In recent weeks, Mayor Jim Langfelder’s opponents have focused their criticism on the administration’s deals to write off city debts without council approval or public knowledge.
First the decision to forgive $243,000 in CWLP charges to Wyndham City Centre came to light, and then Illinois Times reported that $42,000 in fines incurred by politically connected Springfield lawyer George Petrilli were forgiven.
The newspaper has filed a lawsuit seeking a full accounting of all debts waived by the city during 2022. City Corporation Counsel Jim Zerkle has said releasing the names of those whose debts were forgiven would violate the privacy of the individuals involved.
But Don Craven, an attorney representing the newspaper, said the documents being sought are clearly public record under Illinois law.
Mayoral candidate Misty Buscher is pushing for an ordinance that would require that the City Council vote on whether debts of $10,000 or more are forgiven. She added she would also require a public monthly report listing all debts written off by the municipality.
Buscher said Langfelder is unilaterally writing off debts and not informing the public.
“I’m not saying he’s doing anything illegal. I’m just saying it’s not a good way for the city to operate,” she said.
In 2022, Petrilli, who was fined more than $46,000 by the city for failing to maintain a dilapidated property over an 11-year period, paid $4,050 and had the remaining $42,000 in debt forgiven. He later donated $2,500 to Mayor Jim Langfelder’s reelection campaign.
City officials said the debt was written off after the politically connected lawyer brought the house up to code and was issued an occupancy permit. However, after Illinois Times inquired this month about the circumstances of the occupancy permit being issued, a city inspector went to the property at 820 N. Sixth St. and revoked the occupancy permit, saying the building was unfit for human habitation.
“It smells rotten that somebody could have the money to make a campaign contribution like that and is getting debt wiped off the books,” said Madeleine Doubek, executive director of Change Illinois, a political reform organization.
Langfelder said he returned the $2,500 donation to Petrilli after an Illinois Times reporter inquired about the donation.
“If he wouldn’t have got caught, he wouldn’t have returned the money,’ said Ald. Ralph Hanauer, Ward 10.
Hanauer said the mayor’s handling of debt forgiveness reflects a bigger issue: a lack of transparency by the current administration. Craven agreed.
“There are times in Springfield city government, where they do things according to the Freedom of Information Act. You ask for something and you get it. And then there are times when you ask for something and it gets shredded,” he said, referring to a controversy that occurred during Mayor Mike Houston’s administration. “There’s no level of consistency.”
Craven said it appears the mayor, or his legal staff, is attempting to delay the release of a comprehensive list of those whose debts have been forgiven by the city until after the April 4 municipal election.
In an email to Illinois Times after the newspaper’s story on Petrilli was published, Langfelder said, “… I thought it was ridiculous that you had to go to court to file a claim for the release of the information. It is my understanding that the information you requested was already public through the administrative court process.”
Langfelder then directed his administration to provide Illinois Times with a list of people who have had their debts forgiven, including debts associated with building code violations and parking tickets.
However, the paper continues to seek the names of all CWLP customers who have had their debts erased as well as all settlement agreements involving the city’s legal department where a financial obligation to the city was reduced.
The most notable CWLP customer to have a debt forgiven is the Wyndham, which had $243,000 taken off its utility bill.
Langfelder said the hotel fell on hard times because of reduced occupancy during the COVID pandemic.
Some of what was owed the city was written off, but the city was able to recoup about $1.2 million, Corporation Counsel Zerkle said.
“Put yourself in the shoes of a little old lady who lives on East Jackson. If she can’t pay her utility bill, she gets hit with late fines and she can’t get those wiped out,” Craven said. “From her standpoint, as a percentage of income, that’s a bigger debt to her than what the Wyndham owed. It’s a question of simple fairness. Who’s making the decisions on what debt gets wiped out? And what is the standard?
During a recent City Council meeting in response to a question from Hanauer, CWLP chief utility engineer Doug Brown said the Wyndham situation is an anomaly and that there aren’t any other comparable cases.
Scott Reeder, a staff writer for Illinois Times, can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.
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Its funny this entire article posed about governmental transparency, accountability, and doing the right thing, and even touches on the worst scandal/cover-up perpetrated at the city-level in shredgate, but doesnt remind the public of the details of shredgate. Shredgate was a cover up perpetrated by SPD and the police union to cover-up a 2008 fishing trip where Cliff Buscher, the brother-in-law of Mayoral hopeful Misty Buscher, drunkenly shot off his gun around children and was arrested.
Local activist Calvin Christian requested the Buscher file via FOIA and the document was subsequently shredded to protect Buscher and the Department from embarrassment and Buscher was able to not only keep his pension, but continued to be promoted up the ranks following the incident. Meanwhile, those who told the truth and called the police on Buscher for the incident were demoted and punished NPR published an article in 2015 titled Former Police Chief Talks About Shredgate that gives 1st hand account of the issue from those involved.
Now here we are, not even 10 years after the incident that caused the city a $103,000 settlement, countless legal fees, and incalculable reputation damage, and that same union is hand picking the sister-in-law of Cliff Buscher to be the next Mayor.
If anyone wants something to be disgusted by, it should be the level of unionized partisanship that still plagues our community and municipal government. If you need any further evidence, just look at the vast list of campaign donations to the Buscher campaign, in particular, those tied to law-enforcement unions hoping to return to a day of zero accountability and the green light to shred potentially damning IA files.
News at IT must be down since they have to re-run a story from 2 weeks ago.
Arthur you are so right about shredgate and the police officer involved. What you also failed to mention was he was wearing a “racist t-shirt” in his mug shot. Cover up and racism. Not a good look for the Buscher family.
It is hard to understand how an event that happened 15 years ago has any bearing on how Misty Buscher campaign for mayor can be condemned for something that was done by a non-blood relative. If we want to throw mud why don’t we talk about Langfelder’s son and his DUI?
YOU CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS BUT NOT YOUR RELATIVES
Frank, this has absolutely nothing to do with the conduct at the fishing trip but rather the history between the police union and the Buschers..
The NPR article I referenced and other interview statements all said the reason the cover-up was able to happen was because of Cliff’s brother’s political connections. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe they were referring to Mike who is Misty’s husband. I’m just connecting the dots between the Buscher’s direct ties to the police union who have pushed pretty heavy for her. It could help explain why she’s the only Mayoral candidate in the Country who is pro illegal immigration and sanctuary city for illegal immigrants and also somehow received the police union endorsement…
I have a hard time believing she wouldn’t turn a blind eye to misconduct, given the union’s previous history with shredgate..
If you think the city is in bad shape now, you must’ve not been paying much attention before Langfelder got into office.
FVala did you not read the article? Obviously the only reason the previous commentor pointed out “shredgate” was because the IT’s attorney is quoted in the article sayng “You ask for something and you get it. And then there are times when you ask for something and it gets shredded,” he said, referring to a controversy that occurred during Mayor Mike Houston’s administration.” As for the mayor’s son and his dui, I would say that was probably a hard thing for a family under the microscope but then again people should know that when you are a public servant. Sadly there are a lot of individuals that have received dui’s and some get swept under the rug. Obviously the mayor did not do that which I respect. There are not a lot of mayoral candidate’s whose brother in law was a police officer, had important documents shredded to protect him and wore a “racist t-shirt” in a mug shot.
Chris and Arthur, You both are correct about the past activities in management of the City and I agree with your statements about “shred-gate”. Yes, I am aware of city problems before Langfelder. Houston was found to be in violation of multiple “FOIA/OPEN MEETINGS ACT” and caused the city thousands of dollars of tax money to pay for his mistakes. I believe Paul Barker once made a statement that when FIAT ALLIS was negotiating to keep their operation in Springfield Houston authorized the city to purchase a Kumatso brand wheel loader. Where is FIAT now? What about the welcome celebration Houston gave to Kayport for promising jobs for Springfield? Where is that company and all the jobs
The point I was trying to make is that a family member of Misty Buscher made a mistake and improper enforcement actions were made or unmade but that does not make her guilty of a 15 year old coverup. If we use that type of comparison then Langfelder should not be able to drive because his son was charged with a DUI. If you still believe in America don’t we all have some rights left under our constitution?
I believe Paul Barker once made a statement that when FIAT ALLIS was negotiating to keep their operation in Springfield Houston authorized the city to purchase a Komatsu brand wheel loader. Where is FIAT now?
Yes I did and yes the city did buy the Komatsu.This was also after UAW agreed to to a 20% pay cut . Some say that wasn’t enough to close the plant .it wasn’t by itself but it was the final straw that broke the camel’s back in a long line of disappointments.If the city would have offered what they had to others it may have stayed open
I am not understanding why fvala and Paul Barker are attacking Houston other than Houston is on the Capital Airport board. Strange.