She's just transferring other funds into the general funds. Improvement fund now is part of general funds. Fire enhancement funds into general now.

She just moved money around.

That 6.9 million deficit is now 88000 surplus. THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT.

Personnel costs were reduced by 2.3 million. Number of FTEs.

6.9 million deficit starting in 206. Targeted, voluntary incentive, and RIF – permanent improvement fund, airport fund….reductions we could balance it.

And decreased the retirement fund – that’s why they got rid of the highest 30 over 50.

She said the largest is income tax. To fund our core services. Last year, Rue said NONE of our income tax went to finance anything that was a result of the Haitian influx.

Changes at the state level have significantly increased our dependence on local income tax revenues.

The auditor requires that they reserve 1 month’s expenditures or 8.3 %.

5.6 million or 9.5 in reserve – 9.3 in 2026. Below the Commission’s 10% goal. But federal and state impacts and other economic conditions will require additional reduction.

Charter minimums, though.

595 to 568 – LOLOL. 27 people.

General fund – 288 to 261.5 VOLUNTARY SEPARATION. And targeted operational efficiencies.

And transfer to RITA saved 500K in staffing costs.

Reduced personnel cost by 2.3 million.

Fire and police – still remain authorized at higher than the Charter minimum.

Right sized for the revenues available.

Permanent Improvement Fund – not the water and sewere fund. A separate fund.

Most critical need – our commitment to roads and 500K for the sidewalks.

2027 neighborhood streets paving program.

PUBLIC SAFETY TRUCKS and FIRE TRUCKS. They also pursue state dollars for this.

8.4 million in requests – shows the need

But, 5.8 million is budgeted for 2026.

The city’s significant capital needs - $20 million in ARPA funds for public safety. So we didn’t have to use the Perm Improvement fund.

And why it's not a viable solution for Springfield.

I have seen many people say things on social media like, "Why doesn't Springfield get together and petition or recall these people?" And I wanted to investigate and provide a summary of what I learned here. My conclusion is that it's not even feasible, but it also would not solve the real problem of Bryan Heck being the City Manager.

Article X in the Springfield City Charter text is pasted at the bottom.

From Article X in the City Charter, the step-by-step process to remove any or all of the city commission by electors:

1. File a petition with the city clerk that includes a statement of 200 words or less about the grounds for the recall, signed by at least 500 of the electors of the city.

2. Clerk notifies the commissioner(s) sought to be removed within 5 days.

3. Clerk has 5 days to file a Defense also in 200 words or less.

4. Within 5 days, Clerk files a copy of petition (without signatures) along with defensive statements (if they wrote one up) in the Clerk’s office

5. Clerk provides facilities for public signing of the petition, including one copy in each of the fire stations.

6. Clerk files notice in the newspaper of general circulation.

7. 30 days for signing.

8. After 30 days, Clerk gathers petitions and creates one instrument and certifies that 15% of the registered voters in the last election minimum is met.

9. 30 days to resign or forced. Election to replace within 30-60 days.

Summary:
If we presented to the new 2026 Commission a petition of 500 signatures, telling them we would proceed with the recall if they didn't fire Heck...

The total number of registered voters at the time of the November 4, 2025, election that would be used in a 2026 recall effort is 30,990. A petition to recall would require a 15% minimum of this number, which is 4,648.5 QUALIFYING signatures. ~10,000 signatures would need to be collected just to be safe, since we know how much they like to disqualify things (you cannot collect more than 3 times the minimum requirement).

Using the Secretary of State website data:
1. The number of registered voters per precinct at the time of the November 4, 2025 election. Because this was the election with races for the City of Springfield Commission, it is the data to be used in a recall effort in 2026 according to the charter rules. The total is at the bottom and is 30,990 registered voters in Springfield.

2. To recall a city commissioner, the rules say you have to get 15% minimum of this number which is 4,648.5 signatures. And that would be qualifying signatures. You would actually have to collect about 10,000 signatures just to be safe (you cannot collect more than 3 times the minimum requirement).

Using the Clark County Board of Elections website data:
The number of registered voters just for the city of Springfield is 30,864, requiring 4630 valid signatures. There are 30,875 who can vote on City things (includes some Township people, I think), requiring would need valid 4631 signatures. (These numbers are pending legal counsel certification: but I will need to consult our legal counsel before I can certify this number. I just want to make sure I am correctly giving you what you need for the paragraph below. Our counsel will not return until the beginning of the year (1/5/2026).

Insane that you need 10,000 signatures, to be safe since they LOVE to disqualify signatures here, per Commissioner, when the most votes cast for one in November 2025 was 4,000.

No petition to recall any Commissioner shall be filed within 6 months after she/he takes office.

To remove the City Manager requires majority vote of commission.

Even if successful, the problem (Bryan Heck) would not be solved by this. He would re-SELECT the Commission candidates like he always does. We’d just get a different batch that would never vote against him.

This is not a viable option for Springfield.

So, Plan B.....

==========================

ARTICLE X - RECALL

SECTION 59. RECALL PETITION.

Any or all members of the city commission may be removed from office by the electors by the following procedure: A petition for the recall of the commissioner or commissioners designated, signed by at least five hundred (500) of the electors of the city, and containing a statement in not more than two hundred (200) words of the grounds of the recall, shall be filed with the clerk of the city commission, who shall forthwith notify the commissioner or commissioners sought to be removed, and he or they, within five (5) days after such notice, may file with such clerk of the city commission a defensive statement in not exceeding two hundred (200) words. The clerk of the city commission shall at once, upon expiration of said five (5) days, cause sufficient printed or typewritten copies of such petition, without the signatures, to be made, and to each of them he shall attach a printed or typewritten copy of such defensive statement, if one is furnished him within the time provided. The clerk of the city commission shall cause one copy of such petition to be placed on file in the said clerk's office, and provide facilities for the public signing the same, and shall also cause one copy to be placed in each of the several fire engine houses of the City, where the same shall be in the custody of the officer in charge of the house, who shall provide facilities for the public signing the same. The clerk of the city commission shall immediately cause notice to be published in some newspaper of general circulation in the city of the placing of such copies of such petition. Such copies of such petition shall remain on file in the several places designated for the period of thirty (30) days, during which time any of them may be signed by any registered voter in the municipality, but not by agent or attorney.

SECTION 60. NOTICE.

At the expiration of said period of thirty (30) days, the clerk of the city commission shall assemble all of said copies in his office as one instrument and shall examine the same and ascertain and certify thereon whether the signatures thereto amount to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the registered voters in the municipality at the last regular municipal election of the city. If such signatures do amount to such percent, he shall at once serve notice of that fact upon the commissioner or commissioners designated in the petition, and also deliver to the election authorities a copy of the original petition with his certificate as to the percentage of registered voters who signed the same, and a certificate as to the date of his last mentioned notice to the commissioner or commissioners designated in the petition.

SECTION 61. RECALL ELECTION.

If the commissioner or commissioners, or any of them, designated in the petition file with the clerk of the city commission within five (5) days after the last mentioned notice from the said clerk of the city commission his or their written resignation, the clerk of the city commission shall at once notify the election authorities of that fact; and such resignation shall be irrevocable, and the city commission shall proceed to fill the vacancy. In the absence of any such resignation, the election authorities shall forthwith order and fix a day for holding a recall election for the removal of those not resigning. Any such election shall be held not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days after the expiration of the period of five (5) days last mentioned, and at the same time as any other general or special election held within such period; but if no such election be held within such period, the election authorities shall call a special recall election to be held within the period aforesaid.

She talks about the Erie sewer. Rate increases in Jan 2026

Water is adjusting rates, too.

But this was listed in Heck’s September 2021 ARPA funds presentation.

2026 will also have future rate increases.

Her conclusion:

Period of rebound to restraint.

Revenue growth is declining.
Federal support ARPA are winding down.

WE’ve taken significant steps to reduce our expenses.

Public safety is the largest fund in the general fund. Costs continue to increase.

We face large infrastructure, and HUD funding and property tax – our heavy reliance on income tax. She’s so full of shit. These challenges require financial discipline and cautious spending. And highlight our commitment to fiscal responsibility operational excellence and service.

Rue thanked her for “squeezing this together” for our community.

Estrop thanked her and all of her staff members involved To present a balanced budget in these towns is unheard of. Perhaps our friends at the federal level should take note. With our new software, we can monitor expenditures and revenue throughout the year. We now have the tools in our Finance Dept.

Tackett – the state has a huge impact – I hope we continue to inform our state reps about local needs. As we continue to do our best

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