Springfield, Missouri
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Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia
Springfield is one of the five largest cities in Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk and Webster. Springfield's nickname is the Queen City of the Ozarks and is known as the Birthplace of Route 66.
Website evaluation
Last rated on Dec. 20, 2012.
The good
- Budget
- Meetings
- Elected Officials
- Administration
- Contact information for city leadership is posted. [6]
- Permits
- Audits
- Contracts
Public Records
- The City Clerk provides information on how to file a public records request.[13]
- Taxes
- Lobbying
- There are some documents, such as the strategic plan, that include city funded lobbying efforts.
The bad
- Lobbying
- A complete list of taxpayer funded lobbying efforts is not posted, including membership in advocacy organizations and contracts with registered lobbyists.
Budget
The 2011-2012 General Operating Budget contains $70,313,000 in expenditures, an increase of 4.9% over the previous fiscal year. Expenditure changes from FY 2010-2011 to FY 2011-2012 were:[1]
| Category | Percent change |
|---|---|
| Employee Pay and Benefits | 2.4% |
| Funding to Fill Vacancies & Job Reclassifications | 1.1% |
| Department Operational Increases | 1.1% |
| Increase in Contingency | 0.6% |
| Department Fuel Expenses | 0.2% |
| Transfers to Other Funds | -0.4% |
| Total | 4.9% |
General fund revenue changes from FY 2010-2011 to FY 2011-2012 were:[1]
| Category | Percent change |
|---|---|
| Payments in Lieu of Taxes Revenue | 2.6% |
| Sales Tax Revenue | 2.1% |
| Other Revenue | 0.5% |
| Licenses & Fines Revenue | -0.2% |
| Total | 4.9% |
Public employees
Elected officials
The city government is based on a Council-Manager system. The City Council is made up of eight members, each elected to four year terms. The Mayor is elected to a two year term. Members are:[3]
| Name | Position | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Stephens | Mayor | |
| Jeff Seifried | Council Member | Zone 1 |
| Cindy Rushefsky | Council Member | Zone 2 |
| Jerry Compton | Council Member | Zone 3 |
| Scott Bailes | Council Member | Zone 4 |
| Jan Fisk | Council Member | General A |
| John Rush | Council Member | General B |
| Doug Burlison | Council Member | General C |
| Seat is Currently Open | Council Member | General D |
Administrative officials
The City Manager serves as the chief executive and administrative officer for the City and is responsible for directing the overall operations of the City of Springfield and for executing all policies and programs authorized by City Council. The City Manager serves City Council, and provides supervision and general direction to the City's leadership team. The current City Manager is Greg Burris.[16]
The Deputy City Manager helps administer City government through supervision of other City departments, assistance in policy formulation and implementation, and coordinating functions between various departments. He works with outside agencies and organizations in collaborative efforts. The current Deputy City Manager is Fred Marty.[17]
The Assistant City Manager helps administer City government through supervision of other City departments, assistance in policy formulation and implementation, and coordinating functions between various departments. He works with outside agencies and organizations in collaborative efforts. The current Assistant City Manager is Collin Quigley.[18]
The Internal Auditor serves at the pleasure of the City Council and examines and evaluates city activities to assist the City Council in the discharge of their duties. The auditor provides independent, objective, professional analysis and reporting to the City Council. Specifically, the auditor identifies and proposes audit topics, conducts audit planning and fieldwork, and reports the results of audits completed. The current Internal Auditor is Kristy Bork.[19]
The entire Leadership Team (administration) can be viewed at springfieldmo.gov/manager/leadTeam.html.
Salaries
Employee salary details are not provided.
Pensions
Full-time employees are enrolled in the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System. The city contribute 18% of wages towards employee retirement benefits. Benefits are fully vested after five years of service, and are calculated as "2% x final average salary (average of 36 highest consecutive months in the last 120 months) X years of service = monthly benefit." Regular retirement is age 60, but reduced benefits are available as early as age 55.[20]
Lobbying
The city does not provide information on membership in taxpayer funded lobbying associations.
Transparency & public records
Public records requests are fielded and handled by the City Clerk's office. Records request may be made by calling the Clerk's office, or via fax or mail.[13]
Taxes
In 2008, voters approved the renewal of a 1/8 cent sales tax with a four-year sunset to fund traffic improvements in a partnership with the Missouri Department of Transportation.[21] The city collects $524 in sales tax revenue per capita with a combined city, county, and state rate of 7.60%.[22]
External links
- See sample transparency legislation at the Sunshine Standard
- Missouri on State Budget Solutions
- City Homepage
- Springfield Travel and Tourism
- Springfield News-Leader
- Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Budget
- ↑ Springfield Accounting Documents
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 City Council
- ↑ Minutes
- ↑ Elected Officials
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ Building Permits
- ↑ Zoning
- ↑ Financial Documents
- ↑ Springfield Accounting Documents
- ↑ Bid Processing
- ↑ Awarded bids
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sunshine Law
- ↑ Transportation Tax
- ↑ Sales Tax
- ↑ City Manager
- ↑ Deputy City Manager
- ↑ Assisstant City Manager
- ↑ Internal Auditor
- ↑ Benefits
- ↑ 1/8 Cent Sales Tax
- ↑ Sales Tax Benchmarks
