Latest news with #Schrag
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Jeff Schrag delivers first State of the City Address
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield city leaders gathered this morning for the annual State of the City Address, the first for Mayor Jeff Schrag. Mayor Schrag has only been mayor for about 44 days, but he highlighted what he has seen from the city so far including resilience, generosity, and growth. He highlighted the work of the administration before him, including lowering Springfield's poverty rate. In 2015, Springfield's poverty rate was 27.5% and is now 19.4%. He also praised the community for banding together after the April 29th storms, recalling the efforts of utility crews working to get the power back on and neighbors helping clear debris. Mayor Schrag says he is proud Springfield is getting the recognition it deserves as a key metropolitan area in the Midwest, including as the host city for the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff. He said the city is moving forward and he is excited for the future and the support from citizens to continue growing through the recent approval of the ¾ cent sales tax. 'We're in a really unique spot, and not only do we have this opportunity, we now have a funding source for that half cent We can actually do some things,' Mayor Schrag said. 'We now have the opportunity to do that if we're smart, if we're forward driven, and if we listen to what the people have to say.' Mayor Schrag said although Springfield may not be perfect, the city is full of potential. He asked the audience to join him in moving Springfield forward. The City of Springfield will be sharing his full speech here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Listen to the people. That's your job'; Council torn, residents upset with new city manager hire
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Residents like Angela Pryor didn't mince words about her frustrations with Springfield City Council Tuesday afternoon. 'The Council has circumvented the process of making this very, very important decision for the entire city,' Pryor said. 'It was confirmed that a number of people did come forward in the last few days and have tried to make their truth known and that the truth from this from the citizens is overwhelmingly in disagreement with this decision, the process and the person, and that we wanted them to restart the search process, especially in light of the fact that the salary of the city manager will now be the highest in the state of Missouri, and we deserve a more experienced city manager.' Springfield City Council voted 5-4 to approve a contract to essentially hire David Cameron as the new city manager, months after the announced departure of Jason Gage. Councilmembers Craig Hosmer, Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Monica Horton, and Brandon Jenson all voted no on Cameron's approval. Councilmembers Callie Carroll, Abe McGull, Derek Lee and Heather Hardinger voted yes. Newly elected Mayor Jeff Schrag broke the tie, voting yes. 'Listen to the people. That's your job. I think our new manager and our new mayor has really, really ignored the process for the people and the voice of the people, and it's not a great start for [Schrag's] term,' Pryor said. 'I think [Schrag's] leadership is at question.' The meeting started with a reading from Mayor Schrag, explaining the process behind the vote being on Tuesday, rather than the next scheduled city council meeting on June 9. 'We will not have a full council present on June 9. The next council meeting after June nine is Monday, June 23, only two weeks weeks prior to the start date outlined in Council Bill 2025-115. I do not think there is enough time between the official vote and the start date. Therefore, I have deemed the vote to be time sensitive,' Schrag said in the meeting. Councilman Hosmer immediately called for a vote to table the issue until a later meeting. 'I'd like to know why we're fast tracking this bill. It is not emergency. It's not time sensitive, and nothing in the contract requires us to have the bill [voted on] before the start date on July 7,' Hosmer said. 'This is a departure from the precedent that the city council is operating under for at least the 12 years that I've been on council. This, again, is not a normal city council meeting where the public can tune in, listen and watch, and even find out what happens. We've been very deliberate in our process so far in this candidate's selection. We have consistently, as a council said, we're not going to rush the process, and so the question I have today is why are we rushing the process now?' Hosmer continued to give advice to those about to vote. 'It's a mistake because it creates unnecessary and creates an unnecessary cloud of suspicion over this contract and over this city manager,' Hosmer said. 'We are setting a dangerous precedent that will be remembered.' Hosmer also took issue with parts of the contract. 'We also promised ourselves that $350,000 salary was going to attract someone from a big city that dealt with the big city problems in the city of Springfield faces. Instead, we're going six miles away to a city that's 1/10 the size of the city of Springfield. That's not a criticism of Mr. Cameron, but he hasn't dealt with the big issues that we have to deal with. To get the issue right on development is a relatively easy solution, but to get the issues right on poverty, on homelessness, on mental health, on drug and alcohol, on crime, those are hard. You need a city manager to discuss experience on those issues because those are the issues are going to impact Springfield more than whether or not we're open for business. I will be voting against the bill, but I am going to be supportive of the city manager if it is the council's choice to do so.' Hosmer was not alone with concerns. 'I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that I figured that we would have a latent response from the public. We did have a latent response from the public over the last three days. I know I've received over 70 pieces of feedback, emails, phone calls and face to face from the public,' Councilwoman Monica Horton said. 'I feel as though that that particular set of information to the city council is something that we need to take into consideration, and what I've heard over the past three days in terms of just summing up is that, number one, they wanted us to table. That failed. Number two, they certainly wanted us to start this search over for reasons that in the previous council meeting, Councilman Jenson, he went over a whole litany of issues, and for the reasons that Councilman Hosmer is laying out today. And so, you know, to the extent that that matters, that we have a latent response from our public, but also the feedback that we have received from the staff in terms of the lowest ratings of the candidate of the simple majority. My vote is not against this candidate, it is a no vote for the people.' 'We are voting today on a contract and there are a couple components of the contract I don't completely agree with, but understand that if we end up with a majority vote, I'm also on board with supporting in the best way we can. In full disclosure, I did ask for a one on one meeting with Mr. Cameron and I had one last week and it was a it was a great conversation. I have hope that his wisdom and his learning over the last couple of decades has maybe taught him that he doesn't treat everything he does in the same way, and hopefully he'll be able to see that Springfield is not Republic,' Councilman Bruce Adib-Yazdi said. 'I also agree we should have started over and hopefully, you know, a no vote today is not, again, necessarily so hard against Mr. Cameron, but I really wish we could have done that process over. However, if approved today through a majority vote, I do commit to work with my fellow council members to generate specific priorities and guardrails for his role that will help us move our city forward while preserving the good that we've already done in our planning. I feel really confident that we have a lot to look forward to. I feel like some of his strengths are things that we could use as long as we can harness them and put them in the right on the right track.' Councilwoman Callie Carroll spoke with Ozarks First after the vote. 'I've had the opportunity to work with David Cameron prior to this whole scenario and what I've learned from him, he's collaborative. He brings people to the table, he's solutions-oriented and he also holds himself and others accountable, and that's what I want in a city manager,' Carroll said. 'I would have had concern if this would have been our public hearing. We had our public hearing last Monday night where people could come and people did come and voice their concerns, voiced their support. We heard that us as councilmembers. We also spoke after that meeting. During that meeting, we spoke, and we've heard all of these things. Today was just the procedural part of the vote. So it was put out many weeks in advance that this would be what would happen. I do think it's the right choice, especially considering we would have had to push it to the end of the month with council members being absent for the next meeting. I do think it was the right thing to move forward with this. We haven't had a city manager for seven months. It's time to move forward.' Carroll says many people who are down on Cameron may just need to see the new manager at work. 'I think something that we've heard from both sides and everything that we've been hearing, the people who have got the opportunity to work with David Cameron, with their whatever they've been doing, they're all very, very positive about David Cameron because they've experienced getting to work with him. The people who have the doubt or criticism, they don't even know David Cameron, and that's a lot of the things that I've heard. It's the fear of, and they don't know him. I'm one of the people that have got to work with him, and have really, really enjoyed [it]. He brings people to the table and he gets things done anyway,' Carroll said. Stephen Allgeier also left the meeting after the vote, and he wishes city council would have tabled the issue. 'I really wish it was tabled and started over again myself because I agree that we should probably look for someone from a bigger city or at least US cities with some of the same problems we have which, you know, I'm sure we're not the first ones to have these problems,' Allgeier said. 'This is a time to really think about this, and I really wish that they'd have gone with a more experienced, larger city or someone with more experience in the problems we have.' Cameron was not present at the meeting, citing a previously scheduled mental health retreat. He did issue a statement after the vote, saying the following: 'As someone born in the Ozarks, raised in 417-land, and shaped by the values of this region, I'm incredibly honored by the thought of serving as Springfield's next City Manager. While I won't be present for the official announcement due to a previously scheduled mental health retreat, I want to express my deep appreciation for the trust the Mayor, City Council, and community extended to me,' Cameron said. Cameron continued, 'This is not about one individual; it's about what we can accomplish together in Springfield, across the region, and throughout Missouri. I understand this decision was not unanimous, and I respect those who voted differently. Their commitment to public service is evident, and I look forward to earning their trust through our shared work ahead.' 'I want to sincerely thank the City of Republic, Mayor Franklin, City Council, dedicated staff, and the incredible community for allowing me to come back home and serve over the past nine years,' Cameron said. 'We built something special together, and I carry that same regional mindset with me into this next chapter.' 'Springfield has a strong foundation, and I'm excited to begin working alongside city staff, community leaders, and residents as we embrace a new season of growth, challenge, and opportunity,' Cameron said. In the press release with that statement, there's an additional statement by Cameron that says, 'I am very excited and honored to join the City of Springfield as its next City Manager. As a 417 Kid from Miller, Missouri, the opportunity to continue serving the region I've always loved is truly special. While I will deeply miss the Republic staff and community, where we've accomplished and transformed so much over the past nine years, I'm grateful for all we've built. I'm now excited to contribute to the growth and success of the place I've always called home in a new way. Springfield plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of southwest Missouri. I'm energized by the opportunity to work alongside Mayor Schrag, the City Council, and the City staff to lead with vision, courage and collaboration. Let's go!' Cameron's first day is July 7. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Springfield City Council approves expansion of Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The future of the Springfield Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill is being discussed at Monday's city council meeting, with the council approving the expansion of the quickly filling property. The $35,000,000 special obligation bond will be used to expand and improve the landfill's disposal areas as well as the associated environmental management systems. This year, the city announced the expansion is necessary because the landfill space, which was created in 2019, was meant to last 100 years and is already halfway full. Landfill tours change perspective on waste and recycling On top of approving the bond, the city council voted to accept a contractor bid for the project. Choosing between four different contractors, the council decided to accept the bid of Greene County-based contractor Emery Sapp and Sons Incorporated, in the amount of nearly $24 million, the least expensive of the bids. Even though he wasn't sworn in until after the expansion bond was approved, Mayor Jeff Schrag says the landfill's future is important to the entire Springfield community. 'That's something you have to keep in the back of your mind,' said Schrag. 'It's one of those forgotten pieces of infrastructure that you just have to discipline yourself to remember, and so it's great that it's on the agenda the first time I'm here as mayor tonight, just to remind us all that we've got to keep the landfill in our minds as we look at all the infrastructure needs of the city.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Infrastructure funds battle gets more complex
BOSTON (SHNS) – As state officials adapt to the torrent of Trump administration actions, a top Healey administration official gathered municipal and regional leaders together on Wednesday to discuss how they might leverage existing federal funds for infrastructure projects. 'We're obviously living through a period of time of great change in the federal funding landscape, and we, like you, are navigating this change as it comes out at a bewildering pace,' Quentin Palfrey, director of the Massachusetts Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office, told attendees at Suffolk University's Sargent Hall. It was the fifth stop on his office's statewide community tour. The tour is helping the office get information from outsiders and give it to communities facing challenges when attempting to secure federal matching funds, a goal of a 2024 state law that allows stabilization fund interest to be used to attract money. 'As you know, Massachusetts is engaged in litigation against the Trump administration, where we have seen freezes or rollbacks of federal funding investments that we believe Massachusetts is entitled to. At the same time, we are working to identify opportunities to move forward projects and to engage with federal partners where that is possible,' Palfrey said. Joined by Chris Osgood, senior advisor for infrastructure for the City of Boston, and Jonathan Schrag, deputy climate chief for the Healey administration, officials emphasized their reliance on coordination between community partners 'as we look at the years ahead when we think about the federal landscape of this.' Schrag focused on municipal use of the Direct Pay program, an element of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Trump in January signed an executive order revoking provisions of the major infrastructure bill; Attorney General Andrea Campbell subsequently led a number of states in urging Congress to safeguard the IRA. Under a provision of the IRA, tax exempt and governmental entities, like municipalities, that don't owe federal tax are able to receive cash refunds for the full value of tax credits for building qualifying clean energy projects or making qualifying investments, Schrag explained. 'It was always an important element, and it has become more important as other elements of the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law have come under stress, been rescinded, et cetera, from the new federal administration. This provision remains in effect,' Schrag said. 'Under current law, these tax credits exist for a decade until the end of 2032. They're calculated when the project goes into service — so when the electric vehicle is delivered, when the charging station is turned on, when the ground source heat pump is installed and operating in the school. And that can sometimes be three or four years from when the project starts.' Schrag said there's no budget set for the tax credits, which include projects like electric vehicle infrastructure, renewable energy production and energy investment. Palfrey told the News Service those municipal projects 'play a really big role, in that some of these local projects are absolutely critical to meeting our climate goals.' Attendees asked how they should factor in federal status changes to grant programs when applying for grants; if the Direct Pay program could be altered by Congress in the coming years; and if groups who had planned around tax credits might see their funds rescinded before payment is made by the federal government. 'If you're talking about a project, if you've already filed and you're waiting for the refund, we have not heard yet that refunds have been stopped. That's just a fact,' said Bob LaRocca, deputy director for FFIO. Palfrey was not able to point to risk mitigation tactics in use, but said his office is in the process of hiring a consultant to lay out options. Logan Casey, sustainability coordinator for the town of Marblehead, expressed uncertainty about how much municipalities can rely on Direct Pay in the wake of federal headwinds. Relying on the feds to reimburse costs for a new geothermal system that would help Marblehead meet climate goals, Casey said, requires convincing his colleagues and Town Meeting in May to borrow millions of dollars in an already unstable fiscal environment. 'It's difficult, because I'm also now convincing my colleagues that this program is actually worth looking into,' Casey said. 'If we had an administration that wasn't shutting everything down, it wouldn't be a conversation I'd be having right now.' Palfrey said the office is exploring potential tools to put programs like bridge lending in place. 'So can we lend money up front for Direct Pay-eligible projects to help kind of take that burden away from cities, towns and tribes that are eligible for these projects, and then maybe have the reimbursement come later, when the city and town has access to those tax cuts? It's definitely something that we're exploring,' Palfrey said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1-on-1 with Springfield mayoral candidate Jeff Schrag
With local elections just around the corner, Ozarks First's Parker Padgett is sitting down with candidates for several different races as we get closer to Election Day. Today, we speak with Springfield mayoral candidate Jeff Schrag. Schrag is currently on the Missouri State University Board of Governors and the founder of Mother's Brewing Company. Schrag spoke about several topics including his campaign and his stance on different issues. Catch the full interview in the video above. We have reached out to all Springfield mayoral candidates. Profiles of each candidate will continue to be uploaded up until the April 8 election. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
