The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce announced the dissolution of the Springfield Good Government Committee and its accompanying political action committee, introducing a new approach to Springfield City Council elections in its place.
Rather than bolstering pro-business candidates with campaign support and financial contributions through the Good Government Committee — which was a partnership between the chamber and the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield — the chamber announced it will recruit “qualified candidates” and provide “training and business-issue education to all candidates,” according to a press release from the chamber.
The chamber will not provide financial support or endorse City Council candidates. The need to provide financial support through the PAC has diminished due to a shift towards direct business contributions, according to the release.
“The Springfield Good Government Committee served a necessary and important role in positioning our community for growth and prosperity; however, unique challenges and opportunities lie ahead for our community,” said Joselyn Baldner, 2023 chair of the chamber’s board of directors in the release. “The moment requires a new approach to local nonpartisan campaigns, and our board of directors unanimously agrees this is the best course for the business community and Springfield’s future success.”
Officially established in 2010, the Good Government Committee recruited and endorsed candidates for the Springfield City Council. The nonprofit group also provided financial contributions through the PAC. In 2023, all three candidates the Good Government Committee endorsed for contested city council seats won.
The chamber’s announcement follows the creation of United Springfield, a new bipartisan PAC that will support non-partisan candidates for Springfield Board of Education races and city council elections. In 2023, the chamber announced it would no longer endorse school board candidates, following an election in which neither of the two chamber-endorsed candidates won.
All of the remaining funds in the Good Government Committee PAC will be transferred to the Committee for the Future PAC, which is operated by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is only used to support ballot initiatives, not political candidates.
According to the press release, optional dues for chamber members will no longer be used to fund the PAC, but will go towards its Springfield Civic Engagement Fund “for ongoing local research to support the continued growth of the community.”
“This transition allows us to prioritize Chamber member education and invest in the strong business climate we have in the Springfield community,” Springfield Chamber President Matt Morrow said. “We look forward to continuing our work through an engagement model that benefits candidates, members and the broader community.”
The changes will roll out at the end of 2023 and in early 2024.
