SPRINGFIELD – Standing-room-only Springfield city council meetings have started to become the new normal, especially with Monday night’s rally to save the library.
Parents with children, teachers, students, librarians, and library-goers flooded the meeting room, all with one goal: to save the Springfield Library. A $500,000 reduction to the library budget is an option proposed by the Fiscal Stability Task Force to address the General Fund operating deficit.
Nathan Bell, the city’s finance director, conducted a public hearing on the adoption of a payroll tax imposed on both employees and employers. Council reviewed a preliminary payroll tax structure, and its projected impact on the City’s five-year General Fund forecast at the Oct. 27 work session with a .1% tax rate. The council was only voting on implementing the payroll tax; the rate has yet to be decided.
More than a dozen folks had something to say once the public hearing was open. Many of them requested an increase in payroll taxes to cover the proposed cuts to the library’s budget.
“I’m here to speak in support of the Springfield Public Library, specifically in support of moving forward with the work on the payroll tax. This payroll tax is important to fund at a high enough rate so that the library can continue operating at its current service level,” Jessica Winans said. “I am really proud to live in Springfield. I’ve seen a lot of growth since we moved here in 2016. It feels like a different town to me. I don’t want to live in a town that doesn’t have a well-funded library. I don’t want that to be where my kid grows up,” she said.
Michele Tierney provided insight from a librarian’s perspective.
“Most people already understand that every day at the library, my job is to help people find information, access services, and navigate technology, but the most important work I do is something less visible,” Tierney said. “I treat people with dignity, respect, and genuine care. … That connection, those small moments of empathy, have a real impact. They help people feel grounded, they help people feel human.”
Kyra Carroll called the Springfield Library a gem, and the payroll tax is a good way to fund its preservation.
Vonnie Mikkelsen, CEO of the Springfield Chamber, spoke on behalf of the Chamber.
“The Chamber is open to the shared payroll tax at 0.1% for employers and 0.1% for employees, and we support applying those percentages to gross payroll and gross wages. …We are not necessarily supportive of unnecessary expansion of the tax rate beyond what is proposed. … A payroll tax may help close an immediate gap, but it cannot replace the structural solution of growing Springfield’s tax base through business retention, expansion, and development,” Mikkelsen said.
Other folks spoke on behalf of their organizations or groups, as well. Chava Kronen represented the families of Head Start Lane County, Asher Muer represented the kids of the library, and Diego Hernandez represented the Hispanic community in Springfield that works closely with the library.
Rachel Holbrook highlighted the importance of democracy and of keeping the public engaged.
“I want to say thank you to everybody who made it here today, and also encourage everyone to keep showing up, not just for this, but we need to keep track of all the things that are happening in our town, and this is a big part of what democracy is. We vote for people, but then we need to show up.”
The council thanked folks for providing testimony, and Mayor Sean VanGordon acknowledged the difficulty of the work.
“It is really hard work, some of the hardest political work we’ve all done to try to get the city in a place where it’s more fiscally balanced,” VanGordon said. “I think my concern remains that if we start opening up the overall rate, then we’re going to try to address all our potential needs out there and make this unsustainable,” he said.
The mayor suggested allowing the finance staff to reforecast the budget and provide the council with an updated range, given the change in methodology that resulted in more money than expected.
The motion was passed unanimously.
