PRESS RELEASE ON CITY OF SPRINGFIELD FY’21 BUDGET
Last night Springfield City Councilors approved the FY21 budget, but not before making $1,000,000 dollars in cuts.
We feel strongly that the residents of Springfield should know why the cuts were made and in addition, what we would like to see that money used for. The first cut was in the amount $800,000 intended for the Facilities Department to fund the first year of a 20-year lease for a shooting range for the Springfield Police Department. While we all support our officers and want to make sure they are well trained, investing in a shooting range that will cost the city 16 million dollars over the next 20 years is not a good use of tax payer dollars and sends the wrong message as the country demands more accountability from our officers. Furthermore, the City Council was only made aware of this potential expenditure last week, yet conversations and contract negotiations have been taking place by the administration over the last year. Just as the residents of Springfield were left in the dark over this investment so too was the City Council and we feel it would be fiscally irresponsible for us to approve this expense without fully vetting the project. Finally, we are adamant that there should be NO CUTS TO SERVICES OR PERSONELL in the Parks, Recreation and Building Management’s budget as a result of our cuts specific to the shooting range.
Our second cut to the budget was in the amount of $200,000 dollars to reduce the police overtime line item from 1.8 million dollars to 1.6 million dollars. The purpose behind this cut was not an effort to defund the police department, but to reallocate money within the police department in hopes of increasing the line item budget for seminars, education, and training, which stands at a woefully inadequate amount of $131,330 for fiscal year 2021. In fact, the training line item for fiscal year 2021 was cut by close to $60,000 at a time when police departments need training most.
Council President Justin Hurst
“I’m extremely proud of our City Council. The cuts to the budget illustrate that they have the courage to not be silenced and shows that they will continue to make tough decisions that are in the best interest of the community and law enforcement. It is clear that our City Council is committed to being on the right side of history during these trying times.”
Councilor Orlando Ramos (Chair of Public Safety)
“While I wholeheartedly support our public safety officers, and while as chairman of Public Safety it is my goal to ensure that our officers have the proper tools and training they need to keep our communities safe, there were several reasons why I could not bring myself to support a $16-million lease for a gun range. In the end, I felt that it was a waste of taxpayer money, and it would have sent the wrong message to the public. I also felt that it was necessary to reduce and reallocate a small amount from the overtime budget. It is my hope that the administration listens to the clamor of the public and takes the Council’s advice by re-purposing a portion of these funds for youth summer jobs and more training for police officers.”
Councilor Tracye Whitfield (Chair of Finance)
“The million dollar budget cut was needed for a couple of reasons. First, it is the Council’s fiduciary responsibility to understand how taxpayer’s money is spent and communicate that information back to the Springfield residents. In the case of the $800,000 added to the facilities department budget…that communication just didn’t happen. The administration was less than transparent about an already signed 20 year contract with Smith & Wesson. The lack of details related to the contract and the funding being sprung on us at the last minute, just didn’t sit well with me. Councilors understand the police department needs a new firing range location and we are not opposed to funding it. We would just like conversations with the administration ahead of time to ensure taxpayer funds are spent appropriately.
Secondly, the community needs to know we hear you! We hear you loud and clear about defunding the police department’s budget and reallocating the funding. Defunding is a new concept to me and I personally do not agree with taking police officers off the streets. However, I do think more culturally sensitive, anti-racism, mental health, de-escalation and community policing training, for officers, is needed. Therefore, I proposed a $200,000 budget cut from police overtime budget to be reallocated to those and other much needed training. The $200,000 amount averages to about $333 of additional training per officer. That’s really just a start.”
Councilor Adam Gomez (Chair of Economic Development)
“There has to be more communication between the Mayor’s office and the City Council when it comes to investing in projects of this magnitude. It is problematic that as the Chair of Economic Development Committee, I was never notified that a 16 million dollar project was in the pipeline. The budget cuts are a direct result of the administration’s inability to be transparent and communicate with the legislative arm of government. Our citizens deserve better and we should see it as our obligation to ensure that citizens have a voice at that table when we spend this type of money. I’m confident that citizens would prefer this type of money be invested in our community as opposed to a gun range.”
Councilor Marcus Williams (Chair of Maintenance and Development)
“It’s not about defunding the police in my humble opinion. It’s about reallocating revenue within the department to serve a greater purpose. This administration has an obligation to the taxpayers of the City to find more practical and creative ways to spend their dollars. The first priority is ensuring our police officers have the resources needed to receive additional training as it relates to first, de-escalation and racial/cultural sensitivity training and instruction.
When the time comes to discuss the supplemental budget in the coming months, it will be the Mayor’s responsibility to ensure appropriations are in fact, supporting the idea that more training is essential. That sends a stronger message than rubber stamping a lease, worth up to 16 million dollars of your tax dollars over a 20-year period, for a gun range. Especially, during these times.”
Councilor Victor Davila (Chair of Audit)
“The recent cuts totaling 1million dollars from the Police Dept. is a relocation of funds to help address the ongoing social issues that need a civilian approach. It is my hope that the administration would consider a gun buyback program to help us get more illegal guns off the streets”
