A special Springfield City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon developed into a conversation on development in the city. It began with a question regarding City Manager David Cameron's request for a new hire in his department. The request is in the city's proposed 2026-27 budget. Cameron wants a new principal engineer for the city to act as a development liaison and work in improvements to vacant or rundown properties.
Councilmember Monica Horton presented the question, asking if the expertise does not already exist in the department.
Cameron clarified that the new hire would be empowered to help interpret code and policy and make partnership a nimbler process. He said the proposal was based on his observations and feedback from the development community. He said the city would benefit from “having somebody from my office that has the ability to generate a public-private partnership and concept while they're on the spot and find solutions”.
Cameron also pointed towards a broader interest in reshaping his department to align with what he called the council's goals. Those goals include an emphasis on redeveloping and renovating vacant property, which he said requires special skills. “This is a paradigm shift,” Cameron said.
Cameron indicated it's the first step in plans to reshape the department. He said if the city wants redevelopment on vacant property, they need staff and resources to help developers.
Councilmembers Craig Hosmer and Heather Hartinger said that emphasis could and should be a win-win for Springfield. The new position Cameron is proposing does bring costs, as have raises and other changes in his department. Almost $1.5 million more is included for personnel in the city manager's office budget in the 2026-27 proposal, a nearly 45% jump over the current year's budget and a more significant jump than other departments like the City Clerk's office or the City Police Department.
A final vote on the budget is expected June 8.