YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
An ordinance that would set campaign contribution limits for the Springfield mayor and City Council candidates advanced out of council’s Plans and Policies Committee March 17 as a recommendation for the full council.
There is no existing limit on individual contributions to council or mayoral candidates in the city of Springfield, though limits do exist for state offices. The ordinance approved by the committee would establish a cap of $2,825 per contributor, per cycle, to match the limit set for certain state offices, which according to the Missouri Ethics Commission website include governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, and circuit and associate circuit judge.
For General Assembly lawmaker candidates, individual contribution limits are set at $2,400 for senate and $2,000 for representatives, according to the MEC.
Under the ordinance, contributions from statewide political action committees would not be subject to limits, in accordance with Missouri law.
The ordinance does not distinguish between monetary and in-kind donations, such as donation of a billboard to a candidate.
“The intent would be to apply the same rules,” said City Attorney Jordan Paul in a presentation to the committee on the ordinance.
Although the vote to advance the measure to the full council was unanimous, the lack of a distinction between monetary and in-kind donations was a sticking point for one member.
Councilmember Callie Carroll brought up the difficulties of valuing in-kind contributions, such as a meeting space, as the committee considered the possibility of increasing the in-kind limit to $5,000.
Paul called the measure a totally organic ordinance that could be crafted as council sees fit and amended if council desires.
Councilmember Craig Hosmer, who suggested the legislation, said of the proposed in-kind contribution limit, “I would prefer it to be the same limitation as we do with campaign contributions.”
Councilmember Heather Hardinger suggested taking the ordinance before council in its present form, without an increase for in-kind donations, and Councilmember Abe McGull said that would be his recommendation as well.
As for Hosmer, he favored speed.
“I’d like to have it passed out before we get too much closer to the next election,” Hosmer said.
Hardinger stressed the fact that changes can still be made to the ordinance after it is passed to the full council.
“There are probably a couple things that some of us have thoughts on,” she said. “That way we get a product before council to discuss.”
Consultant request
The committee also heard a proposal from Amanda Ohlensehlen, director of Workforce and Economic Vitality, to hire an outside consultant for reform to policies guiding the city’s tax incentives for development.
The one-time funding request was made as part of the city’s fiscal 2027 budgeting process, with Ohlensehlen hoping to have the allocation for the consultant included in the department’s funding package.
The committee voted to send the matter to the full council with its recommendation for approval.
The cost of a consultant was not included in the presentation, and the information was not available at time of publication.
Some examples of incentives used in the city include community improvement districts, transportation improvement districts, tax increment financing and Chapter 100 bond financing.
The goal, according to Ohlensehlen’s presentation, is to highlight impacts of incentives on taxing jurisdictions, such as Springfield Public Schools.
Meanwhile, Ohlensehlen reported that the city’s economic development policy manual would be amended to require fiscal analyses on projects valued at more than $5 million where incentives would involve redirection or abatement of taxes or public subsidies.
Current policy is that discretionary incentives are granted only at the level necessary to make projects financially feasible, and they must pass the but-for test, meaning the incentive is the deciding factor for investment.
Ohlensehlen said the staff agrees rigorous financial review is essential, but projects should be evaluated through a wider lens as well.
Attending what he estimated was at least his seventh Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Visit, Jeff Childs, senior adviser with SVN/Rankin Co., said he was impressed with Indianapolis housing efforts.