Redpath Feger runs away with city treasurer victory

With two-term, city treasurer Misty Buscher seeking the mayor's office, three candidates found their way on the ballot vying to be Springfield's next treasurer.

Candidates - deputy treasurer Colleen Redpath Feger, Lisa Badger and budget director Bill McCarty - entered Election Day with varying experiences and goals for the office.

Tuesday proved to be Redpath Feger's night, where election results tallied had her with 45.8% of the vote and up by more than 16 points or 4,000 votes over her closest opponent in McCanty. He and Badger split the vote with 29% and 25% respectively going to the trailing candidates.

At Saputo's, following the closing of the polls, Redpath Feger and her supporters gathered in celebration. It was never in doubt from when the earliest results were reported by the Sangamon County County Clerk's office.

"When I seen the numbers from early voting and vote-by-mail, I was surprised I'll be honest with you," she told The State Journal-Register. "We've worked very hard over the last eight months and I've had a great team behind me helping me."

Votes surpassed the sum accumulated in the most recent treasurer's election despite similarly low turnout rates. As of 9:15 p.m., with more than 99% of precincts reporting, more than 25,200 voters voted in the treasurer's race. This was nearly 1,500 more voters than the 2019 race, where nearly 75% went to Buscher.

The new treasurer would lead an office of 12 people and hold several responsibilities such as balancing city funds, managing the police and fire pension funds and receiving and processing parking ticket payments. In the prior fiscal year, the office had a budget of $1.2 million - an increase of more than $150,000 than fiscal year 2022.

Related: Springfield Police, Moving Pillsbury Foward, Public Works, win in city's 2024 fiscal budget

Redpath Feger, daughter of decades-long Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, has held the position of deputy treasurer for the past four years. Citing her experience in the office, in addition to endorsements from the city's firefighter and police unions, she is boosted by considerable funds directed towards to her campaign.

In some ways, her role as a deputy treasurer served as a test-run for her new role as city treasurer. Buscher turned it over, perhaps in a sign of foreshadowing, to Redpath Feger to lead the office's budget presentation before Springfield City Council in January.

Redpath Feger said many measures instituted during her predecessor's and now mayor-elect's time as treasurer will continue over her four-year term. Making the office more responsive online by expanding payment options and through a new "live-chat" feature remain other priorities for the treasurer-elect.

Coming into election night, the money race had been won in no contest by Redpath Feger. According to campaign finance data from the Illinois State Board of Elections, her campaign received $67,500 last month alone in contributions and transfers. McCarty and Badger combined for $10,500 in campaign funds received in March.

As reported by The Illinois Times, Redpath Feger and Badger were also beneficiaries of funding from Citizens for New Leadership throughout the campaign. The PAC is ran by Springfield Airport Authority chair Frank Vala and has been primarily funded by the Sangamon County Republican Foundation and Friends of Don Gray.

McCarty has served as the director of the city's Office of Budget and Management since 2011 and recently concluded his role as president of the Illinois Government Finance Officers Association. During the campaign, he attempted to distance himself from his opponents by detailing his track record, most notably by building up the city's corporate fund from a negative balance to more than $48 million.

Following the loss, McCarty went to Facebook to congratulate Redpath Feger on her victory and Badger for a campaign well-run.

"Running for office is not an easy task and I couldn't have done it without all of you!," he said on his campaign page. "Perhaps we'll give it another go in the future. Perhaps not. Time will tell."

Badger is a Springfield Park District trustee, a position she has served in since 2019. Unlike any of her opponents, she had the support of local Democrats- Sangamon County Democrats and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, among them.

On her campaign page, she thanked a host of supporters and noted what she was most proud of during the campaign season.

"I ran a clean, honest and forthcoming race," the post reads. "I won the inner city, older neighborhoods. Where I walked, I won."

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/pkeckreporter.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Redpath Feger runs away with city treasurer victory