INFORMATION ABOUT TOWN GOVERNMENT
In 1976 South Carolina mandated that South Carolina
towns must decide what type of government they wished to be governed
with. Some towns are governed with a council and an administrator,
with the mayor being mostly a figure head. Other towns are
governed by council members with the mayor being the administrator.
The latter is the system that was decided by residents in 1976.
Council decides how funds will be generated and spent
and the mayor carries out the wishes of the council. Some will
argue that this is a strong mayor and weak council. In many
respects that is correct because the mayor is the administrator.
However, the mayor is not the person that decides how funds will be
generated and spent. The mayor is also allowed to break a council
tie vote, thus, garnering additional power.
Springfield residents vote every two years for four
council members and a mayor. The positions are non-partisan; that
is, they are neither Democrat nor Republican. All seats are
at large, as opposed to having certain council members serve only a
specific section of town. Winners are those who receive the most
votes. Therefore, one can certainly understand that with only
about 400 registered voters, the vote can, and often is, very close.
An excellent reason to exercise your right and duty to vote!
Property owned by the Town includes: Town Hall, the police station, the
old railroad track property within town limits, and all of the old
Springfield High School property, including the newer Elementary School
and the Old School Annex and the Gym. Additional property includes
the beauty shop building behind the former Furtick Grocery store, the
Frog Jump Park, and the Ball Park and Cable TV site on Business #3.
The new W. E. Bennett Park, the adjacent Jumper Livery Stable and the
old Cotton Gin Engine and the surrounding property is also owned by the
Town. That property was donated to the Town in 1986 by the late
Mr. W. E. Bennett, Jr. Also, the Jumper Fire Department building, one
water tank and two water pump houses. In addition, the old
Quonset building adjacent to Town Hall.
IS SPRINGFIELD KNOWN AS A
SPEED TRAP?
Click this link to read what others think about our
town:
SPEED TRAP
(Click on SPEEDTRAP LISTINGS in THEIR left column.)
