Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Mayor Misty Buscher does not want a repeat of the last few minutes of the April 7 city council meeting (pictured).
After using his five-minute public comment period to criticize the city and aldermen, former police chief Michael Walton (pictured, left, seated) allegedly used the n-word toward Ald. Shawn Gregory, who is Black, setting off a loud fracas and an abrupt adjournment by the mayor. Speaking on the WTAX Morning Newswatch Tuesday, Buscher said Walton’s diatribe broke no rules, and the city is trying to discern just what Walton said after completing his public comment.
The overarching problem, said Buscher, is a lack of civility.
“I’ve been asking everyone to disagree better for a long time now,” she said. “We have to respect one another’s beliefs and values. Whether they are the same as ours is irrelevant. It’s about respect and giving each other that ability to express that opinion, and respectfully.”
Buscher said people who come to the city council chambers will now see a sign spelling out the rules of engagement.
