By: Diane Benjamin
http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3047
The financial statements for the year ended 3/31/2018 are being released tonight. Six month old data isn’t ideal and would never be tolerated in the private sector, but at least Normal didn’t hold the information the way Bloomington did last year. Since Bloomington’s year-end was April 30th, their financial statements should be release next month. I’m betting they won’t be.
Also tonight the annual financial trends report will be presented. This is not future trends, but this statement is included:
Bills being paid tonight:
Trying to get free taxpayer money is expensive. Normal keeps trying to get that underpass funded!
$88,020.70 was paid in June https://blnnews.com/2018/06/15/normals-monday-bills/
$46,333.57 was paid in May https://blnnews.com/2018/05/07/normals-handouts-tonight/
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Below is proof government does not work for the citizens – it works for government employees. Accelerated Payments are a fee for allowing an employee(s) to “spike” their pensions. Receiving a generous pension was eliminated by most of the private sector decades ago, government kept it. Allowing “spiking” to collect even more money for doing nothing productive AND charging taxpayers for that privilege is a slap in the face to those who will never be able to comfortably retire. See some of the monthly pensions former employees are receiving now: Normal MONTHLY pensions
All of the pensions are available at openthbooks.com
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I wonder where they are going, must be expensive if deposit is $500
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FYI
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Keep in mind that Julie Hile is now on the Connect Transit Board representing Normal.
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Misc other payments, some need a FOIA:
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Sponsored:
I saw signs on the Constitution Trail in normal this weekend saying they were giving away “Free bike lights” this Thursday in Uptown Circle. $6,500 IS NOT FREE! When will taxpayers figure this out?
Those that have figured it out fled to communities with sane governments. While I’m glad I left fairly recently, I do feel guilty knowing that BN is going to continue to slide left big time in the coming years.
It’s a SAD state of affairs when you have to GIVE away bicycle lights (at taxpayer expense) to get people to attend functions in UPTOWN!!
Maybe a free ice cream at Emack and Bolios would be MORE of a FAMILY thing?
WHAT about people who can’t afford a bicycle. Maybe Nikita, Tari or Bike BLO-NO can give rides to those “disenfranchised” folks, since they’re so committed to CHANGE!
More waste,,,buy “safefy lights” from Harlan Vance most likely means that the lights have printed advertisement on them which is way more expensive, and not at all necessary! I’m willing to bet that 3-4 times more safety lights could have been purchased, or God forbid, the costs cut 67-75% for the same number if not bragging some advertisement. Safety my arse!
If they are similar to the ones from last year (or was it the year before?) they say ‘Bike BloNo’ and I think they have a website or a phone number, or something like that. If Bike BloNo wants to give away logo’d lights, I’d say that’s certainly there prerogative. If the town wants to buy lights ‘for safety’ for them to give away then that miiight be okay, but there is *no* way the town should be paying for promotional materials for a group that then lobbies the town.
Diane – I see some expenses related to travel with the Chamber of Commerce. I’d love to get a comment from Koos, Lorenz, and Reece as to how they will be positioning the “racist” community of McLean County, which includes Normal, among business circles now that we’re nationally known.
The minority member of the Council didn’t get to go!