By: Diane Benjamin
Freedom of Information lawsuits are very easy to win. Documents belong to the people, not government. When government refuses to hand over complete information without explanation, they lose every time.
The “extremely transparent” City of Bloomington is not producing the information I requested. This FOIA request clearly shows TIF dollars are nothing more than a slush fund handed out to friends of government. I know who got money from the last downtown TIF, I don’t know how much each received. Remember David Bentley sued the City because he didn’t think he got his fair share. That lawsuit cost $54,492 in 2013, $58,733 in 2014 and another $15,148 to defend.
Don’t forget, Bentley was a frequent lunch buddy of Tari’s before his PCard got yanked – twice just last April: https://blnnews.com/2017/10/30/lunch-with-people-who-sue-renner/
I have contacted the City Clerk, one assistant clerk, Mayor Tari Renner, and City Attorney Jeff Jurgens, I still don’t have the information.
The City gave away $187,712 in facade grants. You deserve to know who got the money and how much they received. If they won’t give me the information, a judge will tell them they have to.
Here is who got the grants, this was received by FOIA. If the City knows who got the money they have to know how much each received.
How many of these people could have paid themselves?
I’ve got much more on the downtown TIF coming!
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Who owns the CII east building and I wonder why we are not paying for that wreck? Thanks for your answer.
David Bentley
“How many of these people could have paid themselves?” All of them. But Tari can buy votes and loyalty by spending our money. It is disgusting and aggregating that so called public servants are only out for themselves.
Why would the city be involved with this Bentley character when he has so woefully managed the renovation of the CII East building? It is a blight when one enters the city from the south. I guess he can screw up the McBarnes building now. Hopefully not with our money.
All that money was handed out years ago – before Bentley sued the City.
Eisenberger. Yep, most ANY long time resident knows THAT building. WAS a prosperous store @ one time-known as Ensenbergers..
City is trying to buy CII East building. In progress for months now. But it is a secret.
Look at all the names here getting awards seems like a bunch of people in the same click making sure Downtown is a priority over roads, water quality, and sewers.
http://downtownbloomington.org/about-us/grants-awards/
Think the facade money is not taxpayer money but from a fund external to the city but controlled by the Historic commission ?
The Harriet Fuller Rust Facade Program is designed to improve the appearance, safety, structural integrity and quality of their storefronts and buildings as a whole in the City’s central business district.
Not sure why it would be on the TiF reports then. In Normal the grants are named after people who never funded them.
The City doesn’t need to be buying more property downtown. Over the past 18-24 months the City has spent $2.5M on downtown property acquisition. Over 30% of the land use Downtown is by government entities. Soon, there will be no property tax generated from all of this “revitalization.” Renner, PLEASE STOP!!
Parking lots and the Main Street property? Does that include Sugar Creek?
No, the Sugar Creek and adjacent property were bought 3+ years ago for a total of $500K. Soil testing and toxin abatement may have been additional.
I seem to remember they didn’t get a certificate from the IEPA. They were in a hurry because somebody else wanted to buy it. Cough cough