Politics & Government
Charter Commission Study Question Passes
Commission to study Springfield's system of Government and recommend changes.
According to the official count from the 2012 Springfield municipal election, the Charter Commission question has passed by 170 votes.
The five-member commission is charged with studying Springfield's needs and recommending a form of government for it to adopt. The question of whether such a commission was necessary was put to Springfield voters on the 2012 ballot.
According to numbers provided by the Union County Clerk's Office, 2391 Springfield voters favor the Committee's formation and 2221 oppose it.
Find out what's happening in Springfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The formation of the Charter Commission was supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats. The Democrats have charged Republican Mayor Ziad Shehady with engineering the commission to change our form of government to a directly elected mayor and creating a full-time job with executive powers for himself. In debates and other public comments, Republicans have stressed that as the Commission is composed of residents, it is a way for the people to decide their own form of government.
In addition to voting for or against the commission, Springfield residents also voted for prospective members. The votes, including absentee ballots, are as follows:
Find out what's happening in Springfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- James Bonacorda 933
- Denise DeVone 1164
- Hugh Keffer 1150
- Mark Cunningham 1122
- Geri Ann Bujnowski 1000
- David Mitchell 919
Keep track of the latest news in Springfield by liking Springfield Patch on Facebook.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.