In the City of Springfield, the City Recorder serves as the City Elections Officer. This includes responsibility for providing candidates for local elected office with information they need in order to comply with filing and other reporting requirements. The City Recorder is also responsible for handling local initiative and referendum petitions. The City Recorder is responsible for accepting and verifying filing materials for nominations or petitions; preparing and submitting proposed ballot titles to the County Clerk; preparing, posting and publishing election notices. City Recorders keep all city election records, including petitions and the necessary forms filed by candidates for city elected office or citizens proposing city measures. In addition to being the City’s Elections Officer, the City Recorder is the Clerk of the Council and the Records Manager, maintaining and distributing the Springfield City Code, Charter, ordinances and resolutions. As the City’s Records’ Manager, the City Recorder coordinates public records requests and is responsible for the maintenance, preservation and retention of city documents to ensure compliance with State records law.

To request copies of public records from the City Recorder, fill out the General Public Records Request below, Police Records Request Form or Fire Report Request Form (If you are using Google Chrome as your internet browser, please save the form to your computer and then click the submit button) and submit it to the City Recorder in person, by email, or by mail (contact information is listed below). This form is available online or in the City Manager’s Office at 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon. CONTACT INFO Allyson Pulido City Recorder City Manager’s Office 225 Fifth Street Springfield, OR 97477 541.726.3700 publicrecords@springfield-or.gov

• Per ORS, the city shall respond to all public records requests within 5 business days of receiving the request, and must fulfill the request within an additional 10 business days after acknowledging the request, or issue a written response that estimates how long fulfilling the request will take. The amount of time needed will depend upon the volume of the records requested, the staff available to respond to the records request, and the difficulty in determining whether any of the records are exempt from disclosure.
• ORS 192.440 (4) authorizes the City to charge fees associated with public records requests.
• The City Recorder may coordinate the response to complex requests as described in Level 3 below.
•  Level 1 Request: Does not require a written request and is not likely to require a fee. Requested document(s) must be current and readily available and must require minimal staff time or resources to be made available.
•  Level 2 Request: Must be made in writing to the City Recorder. Requested documents are not immediately available. Request must clearly and correctly identify the document, may not require extensive staff research to locate the document, may not include more than 50 pages of documents that are more than one year old. Requested document must be located in a single department or division, may not contain sensitive, confidential, or privileged information, and must not require attorney review prior to release. Cost estimates will be provided and requestor must agree to pay before document retrieval begins. Documents are usually available within 5 business days (not including weekends or holidays). Payment due upon receipt.
• Level 3 Request: Must be made in writing to the City Recorder. This type of request is complex, involving multiple staff and/or departments or divisions. It involves extensive research or compilation of documents, and may require attorney review. The request also may require follow up by staff to identify what is being requested. City staff furnishes written acknowledgment that the request has been received and provide the requestor a written time and cost estimate for proceeding with the request. The requestor must submit written authorization to proceed and pay the estimated costs before any staff time is expended responding to the request.

Every attempt is made to fulfill Level 1 Requests on the same day, Level 2 Requests within 5 business days and Level 3 Requests within 15 business days after the request is received. The City Recorder will coordinate Level 2 and 3 requests and may request a review by the City Attorney to assess disclosure requirements of the information requested. After the estimate is given to the requestor, the City Recorder’s Office must receive written authorization from the requestor before proceeding with the records request. The requestor will be notified if costs exceed the written estimate given. In addition, a refund will be given if costs are less than estimated.

For more information contact Allyson Pulido, City Recorder at 541.726.3700 publicrecords@springfield-or.gov

Elections are held throughout the year in Oregon, in accordance with ORS 254.056. General elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. Biennial primary elections are held on the third Tuesday in May of each even-numbered year. Mayor and Council positions are the elective offices most commonly found on the City ballot in addition to Utility Board members, who are also elected. Measures that appear on City ballots are proposed by City officials or by residents through the initiative and referendum process. See the Springfield Municipal Code, Section 2.205 – 2.280, and the Springfield Charter, Chapter VIII, Sections 28 and 29, for specific information related to election regulations. Both documents can be accessed online either from the City’s webpage under the “Business” tab at www.springfield-or.gov or by clicking on Municipal Codes. Candidates for the 2024 May Primary may now submit their forms by appointment to be included on the May ballot. Click here to view the 2024 City Election Information Packet