Councilwoman Fisk won’t seek re-election in 2021

Jan Fisk: Council needs next generation to chart city’s direction.

Jan Fisk, a member of Springfield City Council since 2012, will not seek re-election in 2021.

Reached this morning, Fisk said by the time her term expires in two years, she’ll have served nine years on council.

“It’s time. We need new blood,” she said. “We need the next generation to participate and continue the direction of Springfield that we’ve been working on all these years.”

The decision comes as Fisk faces whistleblower allegations from Linda Simkins, a retired litigation paralegal and community activist who has sought to remove the councilwoman from office.

Springfield Business Journal previously reported Simkins filed a third complaint against Fisk on Aug. 5, this time alleging the councilwoman has unpaid property taxes on property she owns with her husband and son. Previous complaints from Simkins have alleged Fisk, co-owner of J. Howard Fisk Limousines Inc., failed to disclose interest in financial contracts with the city and did not disclose personal or private interest in legislation regarding Galloway Village blight.

Fisk said this morning her decision to not seek re-election in 2021 was not related to the complaints.

“I was told in the very beginning from the city manager and the city attorney that there absolutely was no conflict of interest,” she said.

Fisk also pointed to social media posts that have criticized her status as a councilwoman. Simkins manages a Facebook group that often posts about Fisk and other city and county topics.

“When you’re just being scrutinized all the time and people are malicious, it’s going to be a hard sell to the next generation that would have had the interest,” Fisk said.

The Springfield News-Leader was first to report Fisk would not seek re-election.