But this administration has assured the council there will be plenty of time for substantive review and many aldermen do not appear stressed in the least. One explanation for this is that the gist of the Maximus recommendations are well known on the inside.

After all, Maximus certainly could not have completed its work in a vacuum and would have had to rely on data and information provided by top administration officials.

Or perhaps the lack of concern by some aldermen and the administration’s detached demeanor indicates that all are prepared to acquiesce to the Maximus recommendations. Elected officials hate making unpopular decisions, even when warranted, and expert studies often soften the blow. Therefore, the final Maximus study could provide cover for all.

We can be sure of one thing: if the result of the personnel audit and this year’s budget discussions is to downsize local government, we will be disrupting families, affecting livelihoods and impacting city services. Don’t city employees and Springfield taxpayers deserve a rigorous budget debate with careful scrutiny of assumptions, input from stakeholders and thoughtful and serious consideration of numerous options in addition to those provided by Maximus?

Sheila Stocks-Smith is a special projects consultant and adjunct professor at UIS, teaching a class on public policy.