SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - In a rare move, Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher vetoed a plan to create a STAR bond district Tuesday night.
Alderman Shawn Gregory had proposed that the district support his "History Across the Tracks" project.
It was approved in a 9-0 vote at council last week.
However, Buscher said it overlaps with a proposed STAR bond district to expand the BOS Center and build a new hotel downtown.
She added that the financing option needs to be used for this project.
"The downtown does need something. It's suffering, as the alderwoman pointed out, businesses keep closing. The city doesn't have enough dollars in its coffers to bring downtown alive. This is a community project with the state, county, the SMIA board and the city. It is not creating any new taxing authority; the citizens of this community are not going to have a new tax for it," Buscher said.
Several aldermen expressed concern about the project being championed by Sen. Doris Turner because the city will only hold one voting seat on the board governing the project.
Buscher said she is working with Gregory to find other financing options for his project.
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