Springfield mayor vetoes STAR bond district plan amid downtown struggles

Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher took a rare action Tuesday night and vetoed a proposal to create a STAR bond district that would have supported a History Across the Tracks project.

Alderman Shawn Gregory proposed the plan to fund his project through a state bond district. Council approved the proposal in a unanimous 9-0 vote last week. However, Buscher said the plan overlaps with a separate proposed STAR bond district to expand the BOS Center and build a new hotel downtown.

She argued the financing option needs to be used for that project instead.

The downtown does need something. It is suffering. Businesses keep closing. The city does not have enough dollars in its coffers to bring downtown alive, Buscher said.

This is a community project with the state, county, the SMIA board and the city. It is not creating any new taxing authority. The citizens of this community are not going to have a new tax for it, Buscher said.

Several aldermen expressed concern about the project being championed by Sen. Doris Turner because the city will only hold one voting seat on the board governing the project.

Buscher said she is working with Gregory to find other financing options for his project.

The mayor vetoed the plan in what officials said was a rare move. The STAR bond district proposal was championed by Sen. Doris Turner who also represents the Springfield area in the Illinois Senate.

The mayor is a member of the Springfield City Council and serves as the chief executive of the city. Alderman Shawn Gregory also sits on the Springfield City Council and proposed the History Across the Tracks project that would have benefited from the STAR bond district.