By: Diane Benjamin

Bloomington finally released the financial statements for April 30, 2016. The TIF report still hasn’t been released and neither has a separate audited statement on the Coliseum. Maybe another year? Two? At this point, what difference does it make?

It’s much easier to read the information from the Comptroller’s site.

Total Full time employees in 2016 – 619     Source

Total Full time employees in 2015 – 583   Source

Total salaries 2016 – $47,796,348  Same link as above

Total salaries 2015 – $46,307,553  Same link as above

Adding 36 new employees creates the “structure deficit” used to justify tax increases.  Send Tari a thank-you card for 36 new pension and benefits packages.

The rules changed for disclosing public debt.  Previously citizens didn’t know what the total debt obligations were for things like pensions.  Not anymore!

Want a shocking number?

Bloomington’s TOTAL current and future debt obligations are $270,629,828.   Source

One more note from the 2018 budget.  State Farm doesn’t have 15,000 local employees anymore.  PDF page 19 shows they are down to 14,282.  http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=12224

To prove the City leadership doesn’t want anybody to know what they are doing:

There will me no cameras, no recordings, and no one will know what is said unless you attend.  SIX hours you can’t fast forward through to get to the good parts.

Very transparent Tari!

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