Recommended Reading 7: Councilman Dan Chiles Writes Letter to News-Leader

Three days after Mayoral candidate Jim O'Neal appealed to his supporters in an email to write letters to the editor at the "Springfield News-Leader," several such letters showed up today.

My favorite was written by Councilman Dan Chiles. It was very entertaining.

The News-Leader's editorial board has endorsed Fred B. Ellison for City Council General Seat B; Nicholas Ibarra for the Zone 1 Council seat; and Tom Martz for City Council General Seat A. So far, they have not endorsed a candidate for Mayor.

"I need to ask those of you tha(t) can, compose a letter to the editor in support of my desire and ability to become mayor. Please mention in your letter about your support of the capital improvements tax and our support for citizens input and citizen task forces to develop solutions to community issues such as the pension problem. This organized, overexposed, vocal but small group wants to take away your right to vote on issues regarding the CIP, (Capital Improvement Program) parks and other issues designed to keep Springfield moving forward. The only way taxes can be changed are by a vote of you the citizens. These people don’t like that because the vast majority of people are voting for the CIP program, a program they want to kill." -excerpt of O'Neal email to supporters

Mr. O'Neal did not clearly identify what group he was referring to when he wrote: "This organized, overexposed, vocal but small group...." or how they are taking away Springfield residents' right to vote however, some City Council candidates, including Mr. O'Neal's opponent for Mayor, Christopher Donegan, have expressed a will to not approve the 1/4-cent Capital Improvement Program sales tax initiative to be placed back on the ballot, to give the voters an option to renew it, rather than allow it to sunset.

The Save Our Springfield Citizen Coalition has pitched a proposal to allow that CIP tax to sunset and seek voters' approval to replace it with a 1/4-cent pension sales tax in its stead, in order to not increase Springfield's already existing sales tax. Such a proposal could not be implemented without a majority vote of the sitting, City Council to allow the CIP sales tax to sunset rather than allow voters' to approve its continuance through a ballot initiative.

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