by:  Diane Benjamin

The audited financial statement for the City of Bloomington won’t be out for months.  The Coliseum if allowed to make their own financial statements (unaudited), so I can too.

I received the unaudited Trial Balance from the City of Bloomington as of 4/30/2014.  A Trial Balance is a complete list of all Income and Expenses conveniently grouped by Department.

Here is the Income reported by the Zoo:

The flamingo exhibit is expected to bring in 3% more (from the 7/14/2014 Council meeting).  $338,276.45 times 3% = $10,148.29. So, the $150,000 of taxpayer money invested for the exhibit will bring in a whooping $10,000.

Mayor, the Zoological Society donated $57,357.00.  These are the guys who would sue the City and cost a lot of legal fees if the $150,000 wasn’t approved?  Really?  (The Mayor stated they would get sued yesterday during a radio interview on Cities 92.9)

Sales tax and Reimbursements aren’t income, but I left them in any way.

Here are the Expenses:

The Income doesn’t even cover salaries!

Gift Shop purchases were $60,014.19, but sales were only $3,011.32.  Total expenses just for employees is 800,925.64, that $266,000 more than the income generated.

The Zoo just received a State Grant for $700,000.  Of course that is your money too.

Yes the Zoo is cool.  Yes it is a great City asset.  But how much of your income are you willing to pay for cool?

Budget discussions for this year were non-existent.  Budget discussion for next year were to actually take place starting immediately. (per Renner)

Many many things the City does with your money are just like the Zoo.

Shouldn’t there be a discussion about not only what is cool, but the amount of your money cool costs?

Do you have your protest flamingo yet?