Commission Meeting December 2, 2025

Brown not there.

**Focus
A balanced budget presentation. Heck is fit to be tied over the lack of civility towards him online and in public. (See my open letter response below.)

**Presentations/Staff Report

Katie Eviston, Director of Finance, presented the Preliminary Budget for 2026. It magically went from a $6.9 million deficit to an $88,000 surplus after they all met about it in October and November.

The Finance Department and Ohio State Auditor Budget Process
2026 Budget Presentation and Commentary

https://springfieldohio.gov/finance/
Springfield Ohio Finance Department

Eviston: It will be available by the end of the week – the presentation and THE PDF OF THE FULL 2026 PRELIMINARY BUDGET.

Writing this on 12/13,/25, it's still not there. Sent a message to City Clerk about it.

**Responses to the Budget Presentation

Mike Lowe:
The City Charter says we’re supposed to have so many on the fire and police and haven’t met that requirement

5 officers leaving at the end of the month

How many do we have?

Heck: fire 123, police 122. Heck replied We are authorized 130. Police minimum of 124, so we just meet that? Fire minimum is 127 and we are authorized at 130 for both. We just ran a test on fire side.

Lowe: So we’ve been paying from the charter and never met the requirements.

Heck: charter minimums – we just dropped below that – we have met the minimums for a long time.

Rexroth: Are you leading up to increasing taxes?

Eviston: No, that would require a ballot initiative to approve an income tax levy. A 2% increase is just reflexive of wages going up for the year. And the transition to RITA – enforces collection of it. Not reflective of an additional increase.

Rexroth: You talk about paving the roads, but there's been a 9-year freeze.

Heck: Yes, we couldn't 2009-2018. But, 2017, we restored the neighborhood streets program. We have far exceeded the 2 million annually since.

And no ARPA dollars were used. Roads were precluded from ARPA funds.

Rexroth: But you could've put it in general funds and used it for roads, right? You did that with the other 20 million?

Heck: Yes, we could have put the ARPA funds into general funds and done roads, but we had other priorities. For the community. Threw his mike.

Eviston: I am happy to have a conversation – how we used ARPA dollars. My direct # is ….my email is…

Heck: Going back to 2017 when we passed an income tax increase – that was a response to state cuts. Many cities put out ballot increases to increase income tax. Remote work – where you’re doing business not where you do your work. Reductions due to remote work.

**Rue Statement
The prayer/invocation and pledge. Please give us peace in our community, Lord. (This is always directed at the citizens - we're still dangerous.)

They pray with the mics on.
They do the Pledge of Allegiance with the mic off.
Why?

He added this time something that he hasn't said in the previous 4 meetings (that's as far as I went back to check): Reminder – a limit of 3 agenda items when you have that opportunity to comment.

(I believe this is about agenda items, not the speaking 3 minutes. Citizens can pick 3 items from the published agenda and speak 3 minutes on the 3. A first reading, a staff report item, and a second reading/vote, for example. I'm not sure that's what this means, it's not in the "Guidelines", but regardless. Arbitrary rules and so many threes.

His usual warning to citizen speakers about disruptions. Some new stronger sentences. Read the city's statement (still in the news).

"Due to heightened security, we ask that you do not approach the dais.

**Citizen Speakers

Melissa Rexroth – I asked future plans include city and county. Project 2051 from Australia – hired. Seems odd to me. I’m aware you didn’t hire him -b ut the city does this? How do you advertise for your needs? It must be diffidcult with comments turned off.

What is the forum for discussion? You don’t allow dialog. Townhalls? Has that been discussed? Begged for years just to listen to them.

On your phones wihile citizens speak. And pass notes. The disrespect. The behaviors have listened.

Preliminary 2051 – ETC to send 400 surveys 16,000 dollars. Dissatisfied were 46%. She cited survey results. Downward trend. But an upward trend in city mgmt. salary.

I can help you for free. Turn on comments. You won’t like it, but sometimes people just need to be heard. Schedule a town hall. Sometimes it’s just a simple misunderstanding. You don’t have to agree. Problems ignored, tenstions build.

You have the power to stop that. Will you?

Gary Armstrong – Melissa you just said what I’ve said for 3 years. If a person cares, they listen. ABCD units in the house. The auditor of the France deal. I asked a year ago – two rooms and the wives – it was never business. I understand – it’s perks. You should’ve just been truthful. I’m standing up for Haitians. Reisgned immoral person – I’m surprised that didn’t happen years ago. People need their jobs and their wages. It’s like misconduct. Intitmidation. All the reports and all the rooms the amounts for all the buildings, the fire dept reports, etc. 700K he asked about – lots asked about – the general funds. What was it?? 295 + 75 and then 700K. Somebody made a million dollars and walked away from the Villager.

Darlene Yeely – A friend vocalized problems with the panhandling. Hillcrest and Meijer. 5 people on corners. We have laws against it. What happened? It’s dangerous. Can we bring back panhandling laws?

Mike Lowe – (same tall man) – my street was torn up for 3 months. I had no water while the city worked on a water project. I called the service dept – they h ad put something on my door about replacing a meter. Why did I need a new meter? I never got a notice. I had an appointment. NO shower, no water. I called the City Mgr’s office several tiems and got voice mail. Told they were on another line. You need to give a written notice in the mail before shutting someone’s water off. Found out the city is replacing ALL meters. No money, but all new meters.

**Rue's Immediate Comments

Articles about the homeless shelter closures. Heartbreaking and deep concern of ours. We’re working with partners to fill the gap. Asked Heck and Cobbs to identify funds. I’ve been in many meetings this week about this. We need to come together for unity on this issue. That no one is left without shelter.

And they haven’t done a thing as I write this 11 days later.

(Rue answered citizen speaker comments, because Heck was hyperventilating and throwing his mic around, he texted Rue for help again.)

So he answered:
Combining of the governments – I’ve heard the same thing – no formal action.
2051 wasn’t just us – collaborators – that org has worked with other cities and he’s from Australia – we didn’t have a say in who was hired.
Forum for discussion – the 3 minutes we allow – is unique, not every city don’t even offer the 3 minutes. We want to protect it for the citizens.
Any commissioner can hold a townhall.
I do listen, others listen, I’m sorry it looks like we’re not listening – the amount of energy I spend here and offline, we do listen.
Panhandling – Supreme Court – Lawyer Jill – it’s a form of 1st amendment speech – solicit or panhandle. Obstruction, loitering, but we can’t regulate content – and panhandling is content. Heck said – that’s why it changed here. Public right of way – we can’t prohibit it.
Darlene Yeely started speaking to him, and Rue said, "You can’t make comments from your seat. (talking to Darlene) you had your 3 minutes to speak." And made her leave. Heck will get her information.

Gary, you continuously bring your concerns here. You see things your way. We’ve presented numbers for the Villager. Everything’s public record and available. The trip to France was far from play – they paid for their wives – paid for the staff members only – invited . the return is a $9 million investment in our airport. We’ve been invited back. One of the biggest airshows in the world. Springfield is on the forefront of unmanned aircraft.

Again the 3 minutes – we want you to have that.

**Heck's Civility Rant

We are all bad people. We are the ones who won't engage. We aren't civil. We are mean on social media. He is happy to give us facts that we can agree or not agree with (not clear on how a person disagrees with a fact, unless it's not really a fact that he'd be providing).

This was theater for the Feb 2026 narrative when they start with their bomb threats and emergency powers again: We’re bad, we’re dangerous, we’re racists. WE are the problem. See my Open Letter to them at the end, for MY rant. LOL.

Heck I have said time and time again – I want to have dialog. I’ve given my phone number and email 100 times. Asking them – please reach out haven’t heard from that person once. We want to engage with you. You can call email reach out and set up a meeting.

I’ve said this time and time again too – I’ll give you the facts you can agree or disagree. I’ll provide you the facts. And I Have provided that. But I will meet with you and give you the fact. Bus we can’t do that unless you reach out to me.

WE held the Conversations with the City Manger. Joked about that they hoped nobody showed up.

We want to engage with the public. 11 people came. All the people on the dais and then 4 people?

But you have to be willing to engage. Social media is detrimanetal to our society. We need to meet face to face. Not hiding behind keyboards. Defacing people. It’s become ugly. Leave my family out of it. When I’m yelled at in stores, that’s not okay. You can tell me what ‘ve done wrong, but don’t bring my family into it.

We need to change the way we converse. It’s not how we should do business.

The strict guidelines we put in place are because of the way things happened last year. It would be nice to relax some of the rules, but we can’t. Call, get ahold of us, we’re all willing to talk to you at our working place.

**Heck's Reports and Answers

Houston – circulating on social media – can you clarify the audit about the air show.

Katie began reading her clarification: A complaint was submitted to the Ohio State Auditor – an article was written and is now being shared on social media – the investigations unit did not find anything and didn’t open anything. It was referred to the West region to review our travel and Procurement expenses and included Paris trip. That regional auditor engaged our IPA (clark Shaffer) and the complaint is done and nothing was identified. To our knowledge, it’s closed.

Katie continued: We have policies and procedures proper public purpose golden rule.

She said she’s seen the question, “Why could they not go to Dayton?:Nobody asked that. Cutting edge technology in Paris.

The city was invited to Paris. We were able to leverage our local dollars to build the NAAMCE from this trip. The city only has a million dollars of local funds in that.

Heck added: It was to meet with companies all over the world. I haven’t been to multiple – only this one. They introduced the air mobility thing. Jobs Ohio. JD Vance was there. Leverage federal state resources back to our community.

Heck had Chris Moore respond to Mr. Lowe about the water meter issues:

Chris Moore talked about the meter replacement program. Been going on for 2 years, we’re about 50% done. We hang a notice on the door to schedule. If the appointment isn’t scheduled, the water is turned off. That’s their notice – they turn off the water, you call, they turn it back on. LOL. GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY. There’s no other effective communication.

**Commission Comments

Tackett
Tackett spoke that we have all offered many ways to communicate with us. Have coffee. Call us. You can meet with them offsite. If you have ideas, email me. I went to the warming center at the SA and they need hep with bell ringers. The spectactular Holiday in the City. It was a beautiful evening for our community. I just want to thank them.

Estrop
Estrop reported on federal funding. We still do not know what our 2026 appropriations will be. House and Senate have different numbers and the President has zero. For some of our most important programs including the homeless that Rue just spoke of.

**First Readings and Second Reading Votes

SpryPoint – change order to software increase contract 39K for 1, 220, 273.71 for it all. About to go live. Announced today. We’ll have a work session on the website.

Graviton Consulting – implementation phase of our software. Now we’re in managed service side. So moving money to the maintenance of the system

Mike Lowe asked a question - wasn't CDGB money used for the YMCA? I didn't understand the quick conversation, but Heck sure did. He got so mad he threw his mic at this one.

Reid park golf course – EMAA something

1,091, 690 to the Board of Clark County Commissioners for dispatch services

Estrop wanted to thank Sheriff Clark for making dispatch a prioroity

Bridgewater – single family housing – commuuuunity.

Go Bus – something – 2010 started to connect rural areas in state with urban centers. IN 2010 Athens area to Cleveland. Expands – stops in Springfield, etc., to Dayton. Connecting rural to urban. No cost to the city. Just provides them access and gives them a bus stop – at the old SCAT transfer station behind Meijer.

Voted for $230K to demolish the Executive Inn at 325 West Columbia Street.

Reappointing Kassie Scott, Adam Lipp, Russ Williamson and Nicole Weber to the Melody Parks New Community Authority Board of Trustees

Henry Street Sewer Replacement Project, to increase the contract in an amount not to exceed $61,625.00, for a total amount not to exceed $1,891,826.69

Attorney General’s Office for an electronic fingerprinting LiveScan System valued at $11,075.00

enter into a contract with United Survey, Inc. for the 2025 Sewer Lining Project for an amount not to exceed $1,373,678.00;

for the construction of a new Fire Station to be located on North Thompson Avenue, to increase the contract in an amount not to exceed $43,776.00, for a total amount not to exceed $5,181,080.00

Authorizing the City Manager to enter into an Amendment to the Real Estate Lease to Purchase Agreement with EMAAC Properties LLC for the lease, operation and maintenance of Reid Park Golf Course.

Authorizing an expenditure of up to $1,091,690.00 to The Board of Clark County Commissioners to obtain Communication and Dispatch Services for the 2026

**My Thoughts

Again with the Project 2051 "We don't have any part of that" bullshit. They announce it, market it, put it all over every website and social media page and newsletter, they hold space for it, they have presentations and speakers at Commission meetings, they paid for it, HECK IS ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE for it, and yet they have no part of it.

Chris Moore talked about the meter replacement program. Been going on for 2 years, we’re about 50% done. We hang a notice on the door to schedule. If the appointment isn’t scheduled, the water is turned off. That’s their notice – they turn off the water, you call, they turn it back on. GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY. "There’s no other effective communication."

**Open Letter to Bryan Heck, Rob Rue, and Katie Eviston about their collective “performance” in the December 2, 2025, City Commission Meeting:

Because we now know you’re watching, because you told us. And therefore very much on a nervous 4th quarter defense, which is a symptom of knowing you’ve done shameful things from which there is no escape.

If you, Rue, don’t want people calling you a liar or “misquoting’ you, it’s very simple. Just stop lying. So, I’ll say to Heck, if you don’t want people yelling at you in public (f we are to believe you), it’s also very simple. Stop stealing our money. I do realize this is like trying to explain lying and stealing to the pathological. It can’t be done.

Eviston, you presenting a balanced budget using a pie chart with one big pie slice is unbelievable. I lost count at all the lies and CYAs. On one slide, you mentioned $2 million in ARPA funds for the Roads Program. There was no Roads Program. Heck answered the question with 2017 information, before he stumbled over his incessant use of the word “community” and turned red and could no longer speak. The City has yet to post their ARPA expenditures on any COVID Oversight site. They have no idea where they spent the money, because it all was put into the one big pie slice of “general funds”. For you to claim that an Ohio Auditor contacted a City accountant and came up with no findings is also laughable. You know that's not how audits work. To summarize, you're just not believable.

Heck, and Eviston, you have no idea what the facts are anymore. I'd tell you to just stop talking, but it's getting almost fun.

Rue, you said the Paris trip was no big deal because there was a $9 million return on investment. Another lie. The $9 million wasn’t in European money, it was in DoD and state JobsOhio money. So, US taxpayers. So, again, no reason for a trip to Paris. Or London the year before. Ground broke in 2022, ribbon cutting in Sept 2023. Paris trip in June 2023 was specifically to celebrate the "free" new building veiled in watching an airshow with their friends and families.

Also, Rue, your biggest lie in the meeting before was telling everyone that "there was no formal effort to bring immigrants to this city" while you've all talked for months now about the formal effort to bring immigrants to the city (a resolution you and your "team" won't rescind, because you still see potential $). If you'd only stop talking, you could stop lying, but we know that can't happen. You have the added duty now of bailing out Heck when he starts fuming.

Heck, you continue to blame the citizens for not engaging in conversation when asked AGAIN what the forum for discussion is. You want us to call you on the phone or request a face-to-face meeting with you. Why in the world would anyone do that? We deserve public record more than you people do. You get to run your lying mouths for as long as you want, with the sole purpose of having your comments in public record. We want the same.

You have lied to and stolen from us for years now, mostly since YOUR manna from heaven ARPA and Haitian influx years. You haven’t stopped. Tonight, you lashed out as us, the citizens, once again. We are bad, we are the problem, we are not cooperating, and we aren’t even civil.

Civility, professionalism, and respect aren’t given, they’re earned. Again, when you lie about, cheat, and steal from people, they tend not to be civil. And nobody in City leadership positions or on the Commission deserves any of the three.

Heck, I really don’t understand the vendetta you have against the citizens of Springfield. I mean, they’ve paid for your every meal and every move and every roll of toilet paper in your house since 2006. So how dare you. It's US who should have the vendetta against you.

Eviston, I really don’t understand your entitlement to a 116% increase in salary since 2019 and an unlimited expense account that allows for first-class airfare and hotels. Your giving out your phone number and email address is absurd. No city employee wants anything to do with you, so why do you think we would? You know nobody wants a conversation with you, that's why you keep offering for the cameras. And our non-answer remains the same - no thanks, it'd be like taking a trip to hell.

Heck and Eviston, the investigations have just begun. Let’s have a Town Hall on video to discuss it! We’ll wait to hear about what date works for you.

I’ll close with a thank you that, for once, we didn’t have to hear Heck “throw to” Logan Cobbs to speak. We all deserved that break.

Legality of the Commission Meeting GUIDELINES

The mayor reads the "rules" in every meeting. His reading changes in every meeting. In December 2, 2025, he said that citizens could only speak on 3 agenda items in their 3 minutes, but that's not what ANY of the GUIDELINES say. Speaking on the agenda items is a different portion of the program. He's never mentioned this rule before, and it was meant for people not to investigate and think they could only speak on 3 things that were on the agenda during the "citizen speaker" part of the program. What is their obsession with the number 3?

The rules are not law, they are not in the City Charter, they are not Codified Ordinances, they are Guidelines and should be challenged. But challenging them involves threat of arrest.

The Charter: (Section 111.01) https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/springfield/latest/springfield_oh/0-0-0-242

2016 Guidelines
Online https://springfieldohio.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Guidelines-for-Citizen-Participation-final.pdf
PDF here

2019 Guidelines
Online: https://springfieldohio.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Guidelines-for-Citizen-Participation-in-City-Commission-Meetings.pdf
PDF here

2025 Guidelines
Online: https://assets.zyrosite.com/AoPJ05LpMESJjZ4d/guidelines-for-citizen-participation-in-city-commission-meetings_2025-dOqDMLzBpNCpza00.pdf
PDF here