Mayoral Debate

While it appears state jobs are moving out of the Capitol City.. the mayor has a different story tonight. In a debate between the candidates for mayor.. Tim Davlin said 300 state jobs are coming back to Springfield. But thats all he would say and no comment after phone calls to state agencys. Other issues tonight.. whether downtown Springfield is as safe.. as leaders make it out to be.. Police presence and the homeless ... Those were the two main issues as Mayor Tim Davlin and Alderman Bruce Strom faced off for the second time. While Strom says Springfield needs more police on the streets ... Davlin says ... Cameras on street corners ... Proposed lighted alley ways ... And cops on every block on the weekends ... Should be enough to convince people it is a safe place. And Strom says on the homeless issue ... He wants to create a safe haven ... For those who typically are turned away because of drugs or alcohol. But it still needs the funding. "A safe heaven is more of a relaxed environment because theyre arent those kinds of rules. Which then it may encourage some of the people who stay out because they simply dont like to follow somebody elses rules to come in." Said Alderman Bruce Strom "Its not going to get built overnight thats the problem. But i think the solution and I think its going to be a long term solution and working with them ... You dont want to build a daycenter for 300 when youre only going to have 25 or 50 there." Said Mayor Tim Davlin. The mayor says The Salvation Army is currently looking at a program where they could offer such a safe haven. But for safety reasons they would have to separate those clients from the ones who do want treatment. Right now theres over 300 people living on the streets. The overflow shelter closes at the end of the month. And the mayor also released this years goals for the citys homelessness task force ... One that he says is more defined. The mayor says its more effective now because agencies like The United Way and The Salvation Army have a better understanding of each others tasks. But Strom argues for the last six years he hasnt seen any results.