Partisan Tensions Surface at Committee Meeting

Republicans and Democrats on Springfield’s Township Committee showed signs of running out of patience for each other at their March 8 meeting.

Committee Republicans Marc Krauss and Jerry Fernandez accused their Democratic counterparts of delaying government action. Springfield Mayor Hugh Keffer said the Committee is acting with appropriate care and deliberation, and criticized the previous administration for its approach to governance.

Tensions came to a head during a discussion item concerning a discussion item concerning the Springfield Special Improvement District. After noting the hard work Fernandez had put into the S.I.D., Keffer asked Fernandez to lead the discussion. Fernandez criticized the speed with which the Committee is acting on getting the SID going.

“The fact that it’s not up for a vote right now is very disturbing,” Fernandez said at the top of his remarks. Positing that the ordinance about the SID was ready for a discussion, Fernandez asked Committee members and Township Attorney Bruce Bergen why they were not voting on the ordinance.

“We received it, but we never discussed it,” Keffer replied. “This is that discussion.”

Keffer said the procedure was necessary under recent changes to the rules of the Open Public Meetings Act. He also questioned Fernandez’s tactics, saying “if you want people to support it, don’t berate them when they’re trying to discuss it.”

Fernandez said that when the SID presented their strategic plan to the Board last month, the Committee had its opportunity to move forward. Keffer said he wanted a list of specific properties that will be included in the district.

Krauss, who was joining the meeting remotely through a web camera, dismissed the concern.

“It’s another delay,” Krauss said. “We’re stepping over our own feet.”

Keffer said the Committee was moving with a deliberate and appropriate pace, and criticized the previous Republican-led administration for rushing government actions.

“Last year, there were several meetings where the agenda didn’t include items that were brought up during the meeting and voted on at the meeting only for the purpose of cramming them down this Committee’s throat,” Keffer said.

Krauss said that action on the ordinance should be further along, and that he didn’t know what the Mayor’s “hang-up” is.

“It’s not a hang-up,” Keffer said shortly before closing the discussion item. “It’s business as it should be conducted.”