Why is Russ Running for Sangamon County Board?
After moving to Springfield in 2021, Russ quickly grew to love Springfield and Sangamon County. He feels the County Board has done a great job of keeping finances in check while launching a massive capital improvement project with The Hub. Russ will help make Sangamon County the most attractive and business-friendly county in the State.
During his term in office, he plans to fight for:
- Starting a Revenue Guarantee fund to attract flights to airline hubs outside of Illinois. These public-private funding partnerships are how cities under 500,000 people are attracting flights. The funds are often never used as the flights often meet or exceed the guaranteed revenue amount.
- Continue to execute on The Hub project and hold the line on costs and last minute changes. The Board has been able to fund this project without raising property taxes. Russ will fight to keep it that way.
- Work with the board and stakeholders to renovate Third Street into a pedestrian and bikepath throughway. This is the next step once Amtrak moves service to 11th Street in 2024 or 2025. This project provides a critical transportation route to bring visitors from the Illinois State Fair to downtown Springfield without having to drive. Other cities have used these projects to attract new businesses and energy into their downtown districts.
Other initiatives Russ will work on is improving the hiring process for county employees, funding needed improvements to county road infrastructure and meeting future needs at Helping Hands, the county’s program for unhoused persons.
