The position’s been in Springfield city code for 20 years — but due to a vacant seat on the city council, it will be a little longer before an inspector general takes the helm.
An ordinance is on the table to create the Office of Inspector General, which could be a full time or part time contractual employee. Ward 6 Alderman Cory Jobe left the measure in committee, in part, because the Ward 10 seat is still up for grabs.
“I believe we have the votes to pass this,” Jobe says. “I couldn’t imagine anyone sitting around the horseshoe not supporting transparent, open government. The debate will be ‘how do we pay for it?'”
Also absent from Tuesday’s committee meeting was Ward 9 Alderman Steve Dove.
Jobe estimates the office, which would include the inspector plus an ethics commission composed of the mayor and city council members, could cost between $200,000 and $300,000 dollars a year.