Cathy Buono has officially taken the reins as the city’s next Chief Administrative and Financial Officer.
The lifelong Springfield resident was sworn in at city hall Monday after being introduced by Mayor Domenic Sarno as the first female to take up the role.
Serving the role in the interim was City Comptroller Patrick Burns, who had been filling the position since late 2023, after T.J. Plante resigned to take a job in the private sector.
Following a selection process mandated by the state, the mayor announced the new CAFO at an event that doubled as Buono’s swearing-in ceremony.
“Cathy's worked very, very closely with me - she brings a tremendous institutional financial knowledge,” Sarno said. “She'll hit the ground running, possesses stellar leadership qualities - a no-nonsense approach. And that's very, very important to me.”
According to the mayor’s office, Buono brings some 33 years’ worth of experience to the job, having worked as a senior financial and administrative officer.
Sarno emphasized her experience establishing a relationship with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as her time as an administrator for the city’s neighborhood revitalization strategies and economic development plans.
The mayor says the selection comes as the city prepares for what could be fiscal turbulence.
“We want to keep our financial strength moving forward. We could be going into, knock on wood, we could be going into some challenging times with the economy,” he stated. “But we want to be prepared so we can continue to provide for the residents and the business community of the city of Springfield.”
Speaking to those gathered for the announcement, Buono outlined some of her immediate goals, including passing a balanced budget as the state continues to grapple with tax revenue shortfalls.
She also emphasized a need to address workforce shortages in the city.
“The immediate, top priority I have is to pass the budget, balance the budget – work with the mayor and the city council to get a budget,” Buono said. “As you can tell, it’s a challenge. The state is having challenges right now with revenue, so that could affect our budget, so my top priority is to get the budget passed. And then, I think we need to work on the challenges around workforce in the city, not only with city hall and city employment, but I think with all of the city of Springfield. There is a work shortage, and I think we'd have to do more training.
"Coming from my prior position, where we've done a lot of job training, and I've worked with a lot of nonprofits, I want to continue in that area to try to move Springfield forward," she added.
Also speaking at the event was City Council President Michael Fenton, who congratulated Buono and emphasized the history of her position.
Nearly 20 years ago, Springfield was managed by a state-appointed control board — created after a bailout kept the city from bankruptcy.
Significant deficits led to the state legislature establishing a recovery trust fund for Springfield in 2004, involving $52 million in interest-free loans.
As the city's finances recovered, the state legislature went on to pass a law creating and codifying the CAFO role in 2009 - a financial officer “responsible for the overall budgetary and financial administration of the city," as defined by the legislature.
The control board was also dissolved in 2009.
Fenton said Buono will take on the position as the city continues to experience its strongest financial status in decades.
“Springfield's bond rating is at an all-time high, our reserves are strong, and the city that you will be taking the helm of, madam CAFO, is in a much better position than when this position was enacted by virtue of statute,” he said.
The mayor's office noted the interim CAFO, Patrick Burns, did not seek the position permanently, and that he will return to his role as city comptroller.
