Springfield City Council Zone 4 candidates share how they'll approach development

Springfield City Council campaigns are in full swing with election day on April 8 just around the corner. In the Zone 4 council race, which covers the southeast quadrant of the city, incumbent Matt Simpson is being challenged by Bruce Adib-Yazdi.

Simpson has served on council since 2018 and is currently the mayor pro tem. He works as the chief research and planning officer at Ozarks Technical Community College. Adib-Yazdi, who is the vice president of development at the Vecino Group, has more than 20 years of architectural practice in Springfield and across the country. He also serves as the president of the Seminole Holland Neighborhood Association.

In Adib-Yazdi's view, the skills and background he can bring are currently missing on council. He told the News-Leader his extensive experience as an architect can benefit the city at a "pivotal moment" for growth.

"As an architect, as a real estate developer and a neighborhood association president, I sort of see our land use and our city from all perspectives," Adib-Yazdi said. "We don't have somebody looking at our community as a whole from a planning perspective, from a design perspective, and from a long-range planning perspective, so I feel like I bring those skills to the table."


https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/03/30/springfield-city-council-election-candidates-zone-4-development-tensions/82703762007/