Council forms new committee to oversee sales tax 

The three-quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in November will be overseen by two boards, one existing and one new, following Springfield City Council action last night. 

The new Citizens’ Advisory Board joins the existing Citizens’ Tax Oversight Committee under a newly passed council bill. 

The council measure calls for the Citizens’ Advisory Board to be active until March 30, 2035. Applications for rolling three-year board positions are being accepted by the city until Jan. 31. Council will choose seven to 11 members to serve on the entity. Members must have lived or worked in Springfield for at least one year. 

The formation of the Citizens’ Advisory Board is an accountability measure promised to voters in the lead-up to the ballot measure and in its authorizing ordinance. That board will make recommendations to council regarding the portion of the tax that will fund city projects that are consistent with the Forward SGF comprehensive plan. 

“Some illustrative examples of that that appeared in the ballot were capital improvements, community and neighborhood initiatives and park projects,” City Attorney Jordan Paul said. 

In addition to the citizen advisers, the bill also calls for all revenue collected through the tax to be overseen by the Citizens’ Tax Oversight Committee, which will review and monitor the use of all revenue collected.  

This committee already oversees revenue collected through the city’s quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax, its eighth-cent transportation sales tax, its level property tax and the soon-to-expire three-quarter-cent police and firefighters pension fund sales tax that the new measure replaces. 

According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, one-quarter cent of the tax is permanent and will continue paying into the Police and Fire Pension Fund, like the three-quarter-cent tax the new measure replaces, and also will fund public safety measures, including salary increases for police and fire personnel. 

The other half-cent of the tax is earmarked for initiatives from the 20-year comprehensive plan. This portion of the tax is scheduled to sunset in 10 years unless voters renew it. 

The explanation of the bill provided by Paul spells out the criteria the committee will use in recommending projects. Whether the tax should fund a proposed project will be based on whether it meets one or more of the following criteria: 

• It can be completed with no ongoing debt obligation.
• It is eligible for matching funds.
• It generates new sales tax or other revenue for the city.
• It creates jobs or economic growth.
• It is a catalyst to retain or attract new city residents or businesses.
• It improves livability for city residents or workers.
• It is transformational and invests in the next generation.
• It continues an existing or previous project.

“All that is incorporated into the resolution so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle,” Paul said.