Bloomington Mayor offers Budget requests, including $2500 for employees to travel out of state for abortions
Mayor John Hamilton will presented a $229 million combined operating budget to the Bloomington City Council Monday evening, with key investments in the city workforce and services, climate change preparedness and mitigation, housing, and public safety to improve the quality of life for all residents. The $229 million budget includes funding for the City of Bloomington, Bloomington Transit, Bloomington Housing Authority, and Utilities, and represents a 29% increase over the combined 2022 budget.
The 2023 combined budget is supported by strong increases in the property tax levy and income tax receipts, as well as significant federal investments like the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), and the Inflation Reduction Act. The recently passed Economic Development Local Income Tax (ED-LIT) will generate a new $16 million annually for the City general fund. The proposed budget includes 17.5 net new city positions and a combined 13.5 net new positions for Housing, Transit, and Utilities.
Budget Highlights
While the following Budget Highlights offer many line items, there is no missing the $2500 proposed allotment for employees to travel out of state for an abortion procedure. This highlight seems to ask more questions than the lone line item answers.
Has the City Council seen information relating to exactly where the proposed travel expenditure funds for those seeking abortions is coming from, what will the application process will be like, will funds be available to both men and women City employees, and how will the City will be able to shield applicant details from Freedom of Information requests, considering this is presumable not tied into health care funds?
“Not sure if the Administration has thought through those questions,” said City of Bloomington Council Administrator/Attorney. “I would imagine they have, or hope they have. Those are great questions, and I hope the council members ask them this week as the topic comes up.”
Lucus followed with stating that he is not sure if this specific line item will be folded into Human Resources, or where this money will come from. He just received the significantly sized budget proposal book late last week, and has not had a chance to ‘dig in’ to every detail, at this point.
City Council and members of the press received the budget proposal last Friday, although the Council, the Mayor, and the City Comptroller have met earlier in the year to begin preliminary discussions.
A few highlights include:
- 5% cost of living adjustment for all non-union employees
- $1,000 bonus distributed in four $250 quarterly payments*
- A new deferred compensation subsidy available to all employees with a potential 2:1 match of up to $780 per year, or 3:1 match at lower amounts of savings
- Health care premium costs ameliorated by the employee COVID-19 insurance discount, resulting in employees paying as low as $0 depending on the plan they choose. Overall, most employees will pay less for premiums than current costs
- The City will pay up to $2,500 in travel and lodging expenses for employees to travel out of state for an abortion
- A new health clinic to be started by the fourth quarter of 2023 for employees and families
- Public Safety investments include a new headquarters for police and fire administration and other facilities, continued incentives and higher-negotiated salaries for sworn police, housing incentives for firefighters, and a total of eight new public safety positions
The proposed investments in sustainability and climate mitigation embody the notion that Bloomington is committed to addressing the climate emergency and building a sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy. A few highlights include:
- $1.6 million for direct investments identified in the Climate Action Plan
- $3.8 million to Bloomington Transit investments in public transportation. This is in addition to the $7 million recently announced from the federal government for eight new all-electric buses (https://bton.in/JZm4~)
The proposed investments in housing, jobs, public safety, and the new economic equity fund embody the notion that Bloomington is committed to being a safe, just, and inclusive community where everyone belongs and can thrive, including with good jobs, affordable housing, and inspiring arts and public spaces. A few highlights include:
- An additional $1 million dedicated to housing (rental, ownership, and housing security)
- A $1 million economic equity fund to support low-income residents
The City’s 2023 budget proposal also includes transformations to current services aligning with our commitment to climate mitigation and allowing existing employees to focus on other priorities. These changes include reforms to sanitation, dropping curbside leaf vacuuming while supporting mulching and bag pick-up, potentially transferring street sweeping to Utilities for stormwater management, dropping coins at parking meters and changing meter protocols.
The Administration has produced a fiscally responsible and balanced budget, based on months of input from council members and the public that significantly contributes to our community’s goals. The fiscal year 2023 budget covers the period January 1-December 31, 2023, and will be considered by the City Council with a final vote expected on October 12, 2022. The full budget proposal is available at bloomington.in.gov/budget.
Total Budget Breakdown
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| City of Bloomington | $107mm | $129mm |
| Bloomington Transit | $15mm | $35mm |
| Bloomington Housing Authority | $11.5mm | $16.5mm |
| City of Bloomington Utilities | $44.5mm | $48mm |
| Total | $178mm | $228.5mm |
Budget Presentation Schedule
Monday, August 29, 2022, at 6pm: Presentations: Human Resources, City Clerk, Legal/Risk Dept., Information & Technology Services, City Council Office, Office of the Controller, and Office of the Mayor
Tuesday, August 30, 2022, at 6pm: Presentations: Bloomington Transit, Utilities, Fire Department, and Police Department
Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 6pm: Presentations: Bloomington Housing Authority, Housing & Neighborhood Development, Economic and Sustainable Development, Community and Family Resources, and Parks and Recreation
Thursday, September 1, 2022, at 6pm: Presentations: Planning and Transportation, Engineering, and Public Works (Admin, Animal Control, Facilities, Fleet, Parking, Sanitation, and Street)
This year’s budget presentations will be held on August 29-September 1 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street. The hearings may also be accessed electronically via Zoom at https://bton.in/Rkm8F or by CATS at catstv.net. Residents are encouraged to watch the presentations and provide feedback to mayor@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3406.
*Bonus does not include sworn police officers/dispatch. Information about the new Police Hiring and Retention Incentives is available at bloomington.in.gov/news/2022/05/19/5186.
IU Health President retorts ‘loss’ of stroke certification
In a letter which was circulated throughout social media, IU Health South Central Regional President, Brian Shockney, offered the following words:
Ivy Tech Community College Named to 2022 Forbes America’s Best State Employers
Ivy Tech Community College was named in the annual Top 100 ranking of America’s Best State Employers. This is the third Forbes designation the College has received this year, along with the Best Employers for Women for the second straight year and the Best Employers for Diversity.
Along with market research company Statista, Forbes’ rankings identify the companies positively rated by their employees on a variety of criteria, including the safety of work environment, fairness of compensation, opportunities for advancement, openness to telecommuting, and likelihood to recommend their employer to others. The final list ranks the 1,382 employers that received the greatest number of recommendations in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Indiana’s list includes 75 employers, but only five institutions of higher education.
Ivy Tech has over 6,400 employees; about half of those are full-time. You can see the full Forbes list at https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-employers-by-state/?sh=4c7768161983.
This Week in Hoosier History
1955 – It was announced that mobile radio equipment would be used for the first time in Indiana State Fair history. Police assigned an airplane spotter to monitor traffic control. 12-pack phone sets were loaded at key areas of the grounds. The Federal Communications Commission had issued a special radio license to be used. Safety Director Estel Callahan said, “Traffic has always been a headache at the fair, but I think we’ve got it whipped this year.” (Pictured: Headline from the Indianapolis News)
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here