Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Nikita defeated herself

By:  Diane Benjamin If you haven’t decided who to support in the McLean County Clerk’s race, this article in the paper should make it crystal clear:    https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mclean-county-clerk-hopefuls-push-improvements-bemoan-bitter-race/article_b4244ca0-16a0-5910-8666-00349ca6c74e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 If you live in the County (not Bloomington-Normal) are you under-served by the Clerk’s office?  Nikita Richards thinks you are and plans to spend more money to serve […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Assaults Business tonight!

By:  Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council will approve the “business license” at tonight’s meeting:       The City claims the $50 is a one-time fee.  It won’t be.  Businesses are required to re-register every year.  That means next year the City Manager will want “cost-recovery” again.  Gleason will suddenly realize staff needs to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The Corn Crib Fleece?

By:  Diane Benjamin I reported in this story Heartland Community College pays the property taxes on the Corn Crib property:   https://blnnews.com/2018/10/18/heartland-pays-property-tax-corn-crib/ I’ve been doing lots of research on where the Corn Crib originated.  In case you missed the latest news, only college kids will play at the Crib in the future.  Minor league baseball is […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Everybody travels – Bloomington

By:  Diane Benjamin Bill and Payroll for 10-18-2018  http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20190 Since the auditing bill is being approved, the financial statements are done.  Of course, they aren’t being released yet.   Coliseum continues to bleed taxpayers: More PCard fraud-should be easy to see where it happened: TRAVEL: ICMA (City Manager) $866.04 +685.00 and $777.61 last month = total […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pension Spiking might end YEARS from now

By:  Diane Benjamin PDF page 336   http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20206 Sick Leave Buy Back and the resulting pension spiking is finally being addressed (years late) Monday night.  The law changed in 2012 to allow IMRF to penalize municipalities who practice pension spiking.  Without doing another FOIA to IMRF, I believe the penalties Bloomington has paid are nearing $2,000,000. […]