The election last fall marked Phillips’ first bid for office, a decision she made after it was announced last year that longtime commissioner and Springfield assistant mayor Joyce Chilton would not be pursuing a another term in office after serving for 12 years.
The three other candidates whom Phillips faced for several commission seats, including the two incumbents who won reelection, were all male. In addition to the incumbents, longtime Springfield resident and Wittenberg professor Julius Bailey also ran for a city commission seat. He lost the election.
There were four candidates vying for three open city commission seats during the November election.
Residents also gathered on Tuesday to welcome David Estrop, who was elected to a second term in the fall, as well as Rob Rue, who also won reelection in November and was appointed as the new assistant mayor.
Rue said that serving a second term and becoming assistant mayor is a huge honor for him and will give the opportunity to learn from Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland.
Those that were sworn in as commissioners on Tuesday will be serving a four-year term that will end in 2026.
Krystal Phillips
Phillips was born and raised in Springfield and grew up in the city’s south end. She is also a special administrator for the Springfield City School District.
Phillips said her role as an educator will greatly influence her approach as a commissioner because elected officials work to foster redevelopment in the city as well as address homeless and housing issues.
Phillips said seeing the impacts of those issues on the families she serves and the community connections she has forged throughout the years will allow her to better connect resources to her constituents.
“I think that is going to be my biggest thing as I continue to learn this role is just being able to connect people with those really needed resources and being able to bring to the commission the real needs of the city,” she said.
“I know that we are all here and everyone gets it. But, when you are in the school district and working in special education, those needs become a little more prevalent.”
Rob Rue
Rue is the president and general manager of Littleton & Rue Funeral Home and Crematory.
He ran for his first elected office in 2017, winning a seat on the Springfield City Commission. He is also part of the Springfield Rotary and was a past board member of the Greater Springfield Partnership.
Rue is embarking on his second term as commissioner and first as assistant mayor. He said that he had sought reelection because he believes that the city has made many steps and he wanted to continue to be part of the decision-making process.
As assistant mayor, Rue said that he will be able to learn more from longtime mayor Copeland.
Moving forward, Rue said that he wants to focus on bringing economic opportunities to Springfield as well as work with public and private organizations in order to save tax payers money.
He said that means continuing to help push the city forward as it seeks to create more housing opportunities, combat a rise in homelessness seen during the coronavirus pandemic and create a rental registry that tracks housing stock that is safe and affordable to rent, especially for moderate to low income residents.
David Estrop
Estrop served as the superintendent of the Springfield City School District before being elected in 2017 as a commissioner.
Estrop said he wanted to seek a second term because he felt there was much that could still be done in making Springfield a better place to live and work.
“We have made great progress in Springfield in the last four years. However, much remains to be done. I want to continue the work and move us forward together,” he previously told this news organization.
Estrop said that he is grateful to have the support of voters and to be given the opportunity to serve a second term.
“It feels great. I appreciate the confidence that people have shown in my continued involvement in the leadership of the city of Springfield. The progress that we have made and will make in the future is based upon our ability to work together,” Estrop previously stated.
In his new term, Estop said he wants to make sure the city’s water supply remains safe.
He said that includes pressuring federal authorities and national companies into enacting a cleanup plan related to the Tremont Barrel Fill, which contains industrial waste and is located near an aquifer that provides drinking water for tens of thousands of area residents.
Estrop said that another priority of his relates to housing. That includes rehabbing older properties as well as building more homes for those moving into the city and providing assisted housing for those displaced because of COVID and the economic impacts of the pandemic.
About the Author
