Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A rare mayoral veto Tuesday evening touched off a lengthy discussion which featured a rehash of criticism of State Sen. Doris Turner‘s (D-Springfield) bill to create a downtown tourism district.

Mayor Misty Buscher announced she is vetoing an ordinance approved April 21 for a $75,000 feasibility study for a Black-themed “History across the Tracks” educational tourist attraction. She frowned on the size of the district for which the city would apply for STAR Bonds through the state. An angry Ald. Roy Williams said Buscher should not have used the entire two weeks allotted to consider a veto. “I smell problems,” said Williams. “Mayor, you need to learn to be honest and be transparent and be up front. You had plenty of time to do this, but you decide to do it tonight, because you’re getting the calls that some of us are getting, to make this thing be the way that the county board wants it to be. And that’s what this is all about.”

Ald. Jennifer Notariano reiterated her opposition to the proposed “unelected” board to oversee the proposed tourism district. What’s more, “one of the people pushing for this project, this expansion of (the BOS Center), Rep. (Mike) Coffey, (R-Springfield) stands to benefit himself from this?”

Coffey’s family owns Saputo’s restaurant, a block from the convention center.

Suffice it to say, neither Williams nor Notariano are likely to be in attendance Friday evening, when Buscher is expected to kick off her re-election campaign.