By: Diane Benjamin
The purpose of the Local Government Data on the Comptroller’s website is to present finances in a way citizens can understand. When the data isn’t available it should make everyone wonder why!
Normal’s year end was last March 31st. The “landing page” for Normal has been updated to reflect the FY 2023 basic info, the actual data hasn’t been: https://tinyurl.com/Landing-page-Normalrmal
It appears to me Normal did not include pension and post employment benefit debt in their Total Indebtedness. For the last Fiscal Year that would more then $42.5 million. Of course the current number isn’t available. Last year the bond and loan debt at year end was $79,487,458.
Bloomington is the same: https://tinyurl.com/Landing-page-Bloomington Click the link and try to find 2023 data, it isn’t there.
See Bloomington debt? Remember City Manager Tim Gleason stating the council will be asked to approve $300-$350,000,000 for water?
I asked the Comptroller’s Office why the data isn’t available by email, no response.
All of Normal’s 2023 TIF reports are available – all of Bloomington’s are PAST DUE. Awaiting approval “N” means Bloomington hasn’t even submitted them:
Transparency evidently is now immaterial. Maybe Illinois Comptroller Susanna Mendoza knows people don’t care about local government since so few of them vote.
We should have known better. The minute they started promising Transparency, they really meant the opposite. They SAY they’re being transparent while in reality they’re very opaque.
Will this ever end? The corruption, misuse of taxpayer monies, transparency(?), school districts lying to the taxpayers about their financial needs and amount of students… upcoming taxes due. I really don’t know what to think.
Mendozas office is a shady mess
Must be part of the “strategy”