It’s been quite a first couple of weeks after being selected from six highly qualified finalists to fulfill the unexpired term of General Seat D for Springfield City Council. I feel both honored and excited with a significant learning curve ahead. Most everyone has been very supportive and encouraging. Inevitably, the question always comes up – why do you want to serve on city council?
I love Springfield and have lived here my entire life, except for four years in the U.S. Navy. My family founded our business, Ollis/Akers/Arney, on Commercial Street in 1885 and we’ve been part of the community ever since.
However, the real reason is a desire to be part of what can and should occur for Springfield and our entire region: our community is poised to become a top-tier midsize city bolstered by the region that also surrounds us. We are on the verge of going from good to great. With vision, planning and solid decisions, our city and region will prosper.
Our Springfield region almost has all the necessary ingredients, including a diverse economy of health care, education, manufacturing and thriving small businesses. Forbes recently recognized us with the likes of Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Las Vegas and Seattle as a city great for business.
The incredible natural beauty of the Ozarks adds to our appeal and livability. The quality of life is becoming a prerequisite for many people’s decision to live and work in our area.
We have a developing regional restaurant, shopping, tourism and retirement economy. Springfield, Branson and the surrounding areas have developments such as Wonders of Wildlife, Galloway Village, Commercial Street, downtown, Big Cedar, Top of the Rock, Branson attractions and golf courses, including the newly announced Tiger Woods layout. Those are just a few exciting things that will further our state and national standing.
We truly are on the cusp of becoming a regional economic powerhouse. We can catapult our region into a thriving economic hub that offers quality of life, educational opportunities and outdoor activities. Frankly, I’d like to be part of it.
Here’s what I’ve learned in my first week:
• The city of Springfield has a dedicated and caring staff that wants to make a difference.
• Our region has many capable political leaders who have tremendous passion. We just need to galvanize our vision and collaborate more effectively.
• We are on solid financial footing with a Moody’s bond rating of Aa1. We need to adjust our financial model to sustain services and infrastructure because of our reliance on declining or volatile sales tax revenue.
• Springfield has to make progress on our public safety system. Poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, domestic abuse and mental health issues are much more prevalent and more critical than I ever imagined. These issues are causing increasing crime and other unwanted outcomes.
• Our judicial system seems overloaded and hampered by a number of factors, many of which are not fully understood by most of us.
• Then, there’s the ongoing jail dispute between the city and county. Although the legal issues restrict what can be communicated, municipal violations that result in jail sentences are not able to be served in the local Greene County Jail. Springfield currently is spending significant dollars annually to transport and house prisoners at neighboring facilities. The bottom line is our community deserves a solution to the jail situation. More importantly, we need a holistic, sustainable solution to public safety in general. It’s a systemic problem that will take collaboration from many organizations.
• Another learning moment came when a discussion about jobs ensued after my appointment. Although everyone wants great jobs in our city and surrounding regions, we simply don’t have enough of a qualified workforce to fill the ones we currently have. Many businesses are struggling to find new employees who are willing to do the very basics – show up on time and apply themselves every day.
Although there certainly are issues that need to be improved, there is much promise ahead for Springfield and our surrounding area. With a bold vision, planning and collaboration, we can become a community our kids and grandkids not only call home, but also are proud to live, work and retire in.
Richard Ollis is CEO of Ollis/Akers/Arney and was recently appointed to General Seat D of Springfield’s City Council. He can be reached at rollis@springfieldmo.gov.
