Just 19% of respondents said they were satisfied with city communication — the breakdown was 64% dissatisfied, 17% neutral and 19% satisfied. Respondents in almost all geographic areas of Springfield were dissatisfied with the effectiveness of city communication with the public. And these were longtime residents — about 70% of survey respondents said they had lived in the city for at least 21 years.
The city has repeatedly touted its transparent practices, and last week told the News-Sun it is working on improvements.
“We are committed to listening to our community and making necessary adjustments to enhance how we communicate,” Springfield Communications Director Karen Graves said. “Transparency, timely responsiveness and accessibility remain top priorities as we strive to ensure everyone in Springfield feels informed and engaged.”
Residents speak out
This reporter spoke with many Springfield residents about the city’s communication. Some said they felt unheard and that the city brushed off their concerns.
One woman, who would not give her name, said she had problems communicating with the city about concerns at the jail. Another said she felt the city looked after “the higher ups” and was not listening to residents.
At Tuesday’s city commission meeting, several people told commissioners that they felt having their addresses announced prior to them speaking could discourage residents from sharing their concerns with the city.
“My concern is the fact that when you have someone come up here and speak that they have to give their address. I think you need to reconsider that given what has happened here in Springfield in the last year,” said Springfield resident John Young. “When I signed in I had to show my ID, which is fine. I think the speakers need to be residents of Springfield, Clark County, so that’s not the issue.”
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Young said the commission should not “make it easy for” neo-Nazis or others with bad intentions to find people.
Teena Siebold, of Springfield, concurred and said she felt there may be more community involvement if addresses aren’t announced.
Before each commission meeting, Mayor Rob Rue reads a list of rules, prefacing them by saying that the “city commission remains committed to creating a conducive environment and constructive and productive dialogue and engagement for the community.” Speakers have to present their IDs to prove they are Clark County residents and fill out comment cards up to 15 minutes after the formal meeting starts.
City works on outreach
The city is having ongoing discussions on improving communication with the public, which Graves said is based both on survey results and community feedback. She said this includes evaluating current communication methods, looking at new platforms and strategies, as well as considering how to increase engagement.
“This includes enhancing the reach of our electronic newsletters, optimizing our social media and ensuring that public meetings are accessible and productive, creating an environment for constructive dialogue,” Graves said.
The city is considering having more town halls and a “Citizens 101″ course to allow participants to learn about and engage with local government, Graves said.
“Transparency is at the core of our communication efforts. We make it a priority to share relevant information in a timely manner through various channels: our website, social media, email newsletters, podcasts and public meetings,” Graves said. “We’re working hard to ensure that residents have access to clear, accurate and easily digestible information about city operations, decisions and projects. Our goal is to make city government as open as possible so that residents can actively engage with us.”
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Different ways to get information
The city is navigating challenges with disseminating information to a range of people who do not all use the same method of communication, Graves said. She said residents want to know what is happening quickly, but the city has to balance that with accuracy and completeness of information to avoid misinformation.
“One of the main difficulties is ensuring that we reach everyone, as people access information in different ways. While we use multiple platforms — social media, websites, newsletters, etc. — not everyone is equally engaged on all of them,” Graves said. “Different demographic groups have varying preferences when it comes to how they consume information, which makes it challenging to ensure widespread engagement.”
In the survey, residents said their preferred sources to learn about city news and programming were: 1) Facebook, 2) the city’s website (springfieldohio.gov), and 3) City Commission meetings on Channel 5 or YouTube.
Springfield leaders are engaging with the public using technology like regular podcasts and online videos, Graves said.
Limits on communication
Some residents have said they feel conversations with the city are one-sided, with social media comments being turned off and time being limited to three minutes for public comment at city commission meetings.
Graves said the city turned off comments online in order to “maintain a constructive and respectful environment” and avoid disinformation and harmful comments. She said time limits for public comments are in place to “ensure that all residents have an equal opportunity to speak.”
“However, we are always open to continuing conversations with our residents and ensuring that they have full answers to their inquiries,” Graves said. “We may not always be able to provide that feedback on the spot but will conduct the internal research necessary to make sure every question is answered as fully and accurately as possible. We have also taken the added measure of posting any questions that we need to research on our website for full transparency.”
The city saw negative attention in September when prominent Republican figures like Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump spread false rumors that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating pets. Last summer, neo-Nazi group the Blood Tribe marched downtown and, according to a lawsuit, led a “months-long campaign of harassment and intimidation.”
These factors have impacted how the city communicates with its residents, balancing safety with transparency, Graves said. At city meetings, there is an increased presence of Springfield Police Division officers as well as security measures.
In September, the city encrypted its police, fire and EMS dispatch scanner channels, which has resulted in some public pushback.
“Public safety and privacy are key concerns when it comes to scanner traffic, and the decision to encrypt it was made to protect sensitive information and ensure the safety of both law enforcement and residents,“ Graves said. ”However, we are always open to discussing these concerns and evaluating whether there are alternative ways to ensure transparency and public safety at the same time.”
How to move forward
The community survey was “just one piece of the puzzle” in gathering resident input, the city said.
“We are committed to improving how we communicate and ensuring that residents feel heard, informed and engaged. We are continuously reviewing our communication strategies and welcome feedback at any time,” Graves said. “As we move forward, we will remain transparent, responsive and accountable to the community we serve.”
In the survey, residents were asked how informed they believe they are regarding various topics in the city. Of those who took the time to respond to the survey, 69% said they were “well informed” or “somewhat informed” about city programs and services, 68% about road closures, 57% about new industrial and retail growth. But 60% percent of survey respondents said they were “not at all informed” about the financial condition and priorities of the city.
Those with concerns can attend city commission meetings at the City Hall Forum downtown every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. The next meeting is April 8. Residents can also contact the city manager’s office at 937-324-7300 or email Graves at kgraves@springfieldohio.gov.
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