By: Diane Benjamin
I could write MANY stories about last night’s Bloomington Council meeting. I might write more, I might not.
I didn’t want you to miss this graphic:
Every citizen of Normal is in twice as much debt as those who live in Bloomington. That is why the end of the Uptown TIF is troublesome, somebody still has to pay the debt Koos rang up back. That is also why the payback period gets extended – Normal can’t afford the payments. That is also why your tax dollars will continue to be thrown away paying interest. Did Bloomington’s Finance Director do this slide to get Koos fired? Maybe they are sick of Chris’s war too! https://blnnews.com/2021/02/16/normal-publicly-announces-the-war-with-bloomington/
What this chart is missing is unfunded pension and post employment obligations. Bloomington has almost $158,000,000 and Normal has almost $96,000,000. Those number are from their last year end as reported to the Comptroller.
Last night Bloomington also approved paying Normal for use of recycling drop boxes. They shouldn’t. There is no market for containers as proved by the packed dropped box behind Walmart this morning. Mixed paper had some room, carboard had lots of room. Containers were spilling out with zero room to cram in more. Midwest Fiber obviously doesn’t want the stuff. My full garbage bag is going in the trash, maybe all of it from now on. McLean County should refuse to participate. There is no accountability by Midwest Fiber.
Just before Koos became Mayor Normal had no debt. He has been spending out of our means since he took office. Our children are stuck paying for what the incumbents up for election call “being fiscally responsible.” (Kathleen Lorenz, Scott Preston, Kevin McCarthy and Chemberly Cummings.)
The previous mayor promised lower property taxes for becoming debt-free, then Koos took office.
This is from the Pantagraph.
25 years ago
Jan. 21, 1995: Normal remains on track to be debt free by the year 2000. Mayor Kent Karraker is backing a slight boost in the sales tax in this year’s budget to build a reserve and pay off some expenses. If that happens, he said, property tax relief can follow.
https://www.pantagraph.com/print-specific/pantagraph/briefs/how-time-flies-1-21-20/article_90fa30cd-d1a1-5e41-a45b-e7a7d11add53.html
Remember anyone who is an incumbent and/or who is endorsed by Koos subscribes to the “debt is good” philosophy.
Vote for anyone EXCEPT for
Koos
Preston
Lorenz
McCarthy
Cummings
Zimmerman
McMillan
“can” should have been a clue
Good heavens. Look at Springfield’s debt. What the heck have they been spending such money on?
It says below the pic
Springfield still runs their own municipal power company, AFAIK, still coal-powered.