Springfield, MO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Who pays
- Abutting property owner, by front footage
- Basis
- Charter § 10.12 special assessment
- Location
- Springfield, Greene County, Missouri
- Result
- Lien on the property
Summary
In Springfield, Missouri, when the city itself builds or repairs a public sidewalk, the cost is billed back to the abutting property owner as a special tax assessed by front footage, not absorbed by the city.
Upon completion of the sidewalk repairs, the director of public works shall certify the total cost to the city council, which shall then, by ordinance, accept the improvement and assess a special tax against the property abutting upon the improvement according to the front footage thereof...which special assessment shall be a lien upon the property liable therefor and in favor of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2 | Land Development Code: Supplement 9 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under Springfield City Code § 98-261, if sidewalk repairs are done by city crews or by a city-hired contractor, the director of public works certifies the total cost and the city council accepts the improvement by ordinance and levies a special tax against the abutting property according to its front footage, under Charter § 10.12. That special assessment becomes a lien on the property in the city's favor (or the public improvement fund's, if paid from it), collected through special tax bills issued to the owner.
Violations & Fines
Nonpayment of a special tax bill: the assessment is a lien on the abutting property, enforceable the same as other city tax-bill liens under Article VI of Chapter 98.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for public sidewalk repairs in Springfield, Missouri?
Can the city put a lien on my property for a sidewalk repair?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Missouri sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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