By: Diane Benjamin
The fine for Emily Bell spiking her pension was assessed against the City of Bloomington in DECEMBER 2014. It wasn’t paid until 4/30/15 – and congrats taxpayers, interest of $1636.99 was added to the tab. Total paid was $360,031.11!
All payments in excess of $50,000 are supposed to be approved by the Council. At every meeting a Bills and Payroll report is voted on as part of the consent agenda. I can’t find a payment to IMRF on any report for $360,031.11 or $358,394.12!
Did Hales send them a check that wasn’t approved by the Council? Was the payment hidden somewhere so the council didn’t find out? Where is the payment recorded David?
Tari Renner has proclaimed that David Hales job is like running a corporation, hence his huge salary. Tari: If the CEO ran the company like this he wouldn’t be CEO.
Add today’s bird-cage liner story saying the City “forgot” to get District 87’s approval to abate taxes, and Hales is solidified as UNFIT for the job.
Here’s a link to what Hales job description: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=262
His failure to make sure the City received approval from the other taxing bodies AND his failure to stop the fines by IMRF can fall under numerous duties he is charged to perform.
The Council doesn’t care (except Lower). Citizens will have to demand Hales is fired. Remember, Renner would never have been censured if the citizens hadn’t demanded it.
Keep in mind that your taxes are going to be raised. What percent of that increase is due to David Hales and his incompetence? What else is he hiding?
Surely Lower and or Sterns would have questioned this expenditure had it been brought to the council. It sort of appears that it wasn’t brought to the council. Hidden, quite possibly.
I remember from my school board days there were ways to “hide” things in the budget from the public. Nothing illegal was done You know a teacher threatens to sue so you settle and pay them off and hide from the public what you paid. Not really hide it but disguise it as something else.
What I would like to know is that Hales said they asked the IMRF to reconsider a waiver and they got a reply in June is what he said Monday evening. Maybe they received the denial in April and had no choice to pay the IMRF. Is Hales lying when they sent the request letter and received it?
He might have requested a waiver since he got more “fines” in May, June and July. Stopping a snowball when it’s already rolling straight towards you?
I am almost sure Hales said the waiver request was sent to the IMRF last year. When I get time I will listen to the recording again to hear what dates he gave.
I think it was this year. He said he received a response in May or June.
All BNNews readers and their friends need to FLOOD the individual Aldermen’s emails. Don’t send it to the “general council email” or Hales and Nora will receive it also. Hales job description is specifically found in City Code: Chapter 2: Section 39
Hi Diane; According to Rob Fazzini, Renner was NOT censored. It was reported incorrectly by our wonderful bird cage liner. Don’t know this to be fact but you may want someone to check it out. You do a WONDERFUL job of reporting!!! Jerry Gilbert
They pretended to hold him accountable. Right, it wasn’t s censure but I can call it what it should have been.