By: Diane Benjamin
If you thought Unit 5 was bad, wait for the City of Bloomington!
They are projecting ending the year with $51 million in reserves. Inflation has been devastating to citizens, credit card debt is record high. Government is fine, you aren’t.
If Tim Gleason didn’t have the votes for this it wouldn’t be on the agenda: https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/4b92858c65a96d7657c25e9f878e7edc0.pdf
The docs claim they need a generational investment in the water system. Did you know a generation is 10 years? The plan is to dramatically raise rates for the next 3 years and also play Class Warfare by making sure poor people stay poor. They can get assistance paying for water at the expense of people the City is sure can afford higher water prices. Karl Marx would be so proud.
From the document:
To help low-income residents adjust to the increase, the proposed ordinance establishes a
program wherein customers that meet the poverty guidelines will receive a 33% discount. In
addition, the ordinance provides the City Manager will explore other resources that provide
assistance for water utilities and update the website to share said resources. Finally, the
ordinance provides additional needs-based assistance programs may be presented and
approved by the City Council.
Since the City also imposes a utility tax on water at a rate of 3.75%, the proposed ordinance
lowers the tax over the next three years so that customers do not experience additional
costs for water beyond the intended rate increases. As a result, the tax rate will lower to
2.75% effective May 1, 2024, then will go to 2.5% and 2.25% in the following two years.
To maintain consistency and improve accuracy, the proposed ordinance also changes the
annual rate increases for sewer, storm, and refuse from 3% annually to CPI-WST (Water,
Sewer, Storm Water and Solid Waste (Trash Collection).
More employees will be needed to determine who meets poverty guidelines and who doesn’t. Of course this incentivizes people to stay in poverty to keep from paying more. Why improve yourself if your water bill is going to steal your salary? The last line is hilarious. Changing the 3% annual increase (the council never has to vote on) to CPI means an INCREASE since the current CPI is 3.2%.
Keep in mind Bloomington also wants property taxes increased.
Remember when Tari Renner demanded a sales tax increase because the City had a “structural deficit”? (meaning they spent more money than they had so you have to fork over more)
The structural deficit disappeared years ago, the additional sales tax is still being charged.
In 10 years Sales Tax Revenue has increased 78.56% – The City collects $22,113,202 more than they did in 2014. Where is that money? This chart is in the financial statements being presented tonight. It only been 7 months since year end – why the rush?
Of course all this wealth can’t be spent on water projects because water is an Enterprise Fund – it’s set up purposely as a fund so you have to pay more. Funny how the “arena” is also an Enterprise Fund but it NEVER breaks even.
Good thing you elected 5 socialists. They understand you need to pay more to get nice things. Congrats.
A generational plan doesn’t need to be paid for in 10 years. Why is this being proposed? Probably because the socialists are demanding redistribution of your wealth. They have to grab it before no one is left to fleece.
Doesn’t this mean the City is going to cancel spending MILLIONS downtown? Not a chance.
With the $50 million they can pay off the Arena!!!! and build ANOTHER ONE!!!!
Well I won’t be here to tax for much longer. All this fiscal irresponsibility, and no accountability. Maybe that says something about the fiscal understanding of the constituency. Or maybe the biters who have had enough are just moving away. Y’all can keep voting for more of it since you seem to think it makes sense. One suggestion, take a look at the taxes you pay, and multiply that by the 20 or so years you may plan to be here. Then make your case that this is responsible government and in the best interests of the citizens and small businesses who are forced to fund it.
Ok I was referencing VOTERS not biters. Not sure where siri was going with this ….
Just remember,these people were elected! Your vote counts! Lack of action has consequences. You don’t vote and this is what you get!
I do vote, every time in every election. AND, I regularly communicate with my Ward 1 Alderperson, and my 2 District 9 County Board representatives plus the state and federal “representatives”. That action makes me feel good but has no useful purpose. The ballot box is broken. The election process is broken. The parasitic taxing bodies are free to do as the wish and there is nothing that can be done by the voter and resident property owner, except move. Then, more of the same on the other end……i.e., TN, FL, TX, on and on.