By: Diane Benjamin
Next May Bloomington water bills go up to make the trifecta of 100% increase in 3 years complete. All other fees go up 3% every year without a vote.
Your property tax bills, courtesy of the City and Library, are also going up.
There was an election in April of 2025.
Cody Hendricks wanted to be mayor, so last year he voted to not raise property taxes.
Jenna Kearns and Molly Ward wanted re-elected, so last year they voted to not raise property taxes.
Abby Scott ran for election on reducing property taxes:
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This was my favorite “speech” last night – note how many times Abby Scott says “we”. She now represents the needs of City staff, not Ward 9. Hit PLAY:
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Sheila Montney grilled the Finance Director before Abby. She had him rattled by just pointing out the obvious. Yes, the City is collecting more money from other taxes than anticipated. Property taxes are just 3% of total revenue. Everyone knows ridiculous property taxes are why people leave the State of Illinois.
Bloomington didn’t care. Kent Lee and Sheila Montney were the only no votes.
Jeff Jurgens: The property tax RATE is immaterial. It doesn’t matter if it’s way up or way down. When the Assessed Value of properties the last three years have increased around 30%, the RATE should go down!
Of course the City is taxing gains most people will never realize since they aren’t selling their home. In Illinois it’s called legal theft.
The library was forced to revise their presentation – see the slide at 46:40. Somehow a $200,000 house is accurately stated at $215,600. I can’t imagine this story had anything to do with it: https://blnnews.com/2025/11/24/bloomington-library-bozos/
They raised taxes too.
Molly Ward opened a can of worms – see 1:08:30. She claimed there was a social media rumor that all the City is paying is interest on the Coliseum. Yes, I did say that yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2025/11/24/before-bloomington-raises-property-taxes-ask-them-to-explain-this/
Who Molly “got” was the Finance Director. We were told in September of 2024 the City still owed $21,000,000 on the close to 20 year old building.
Last night Scott Rathbun told Molly payments are made twice a year on the bonds. Only interest is paid in November, the June payment includes both principal and interest. He also stated the bond is down to around $16,000,000. That would mean this year’s payment had to be around $5,000,000 on the principal.
Surprise Molly – it wasn’t: PDF page 69 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30395/638519794820270000
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The principal paid since we were told the bonds were $21,000,000 is:
$900,000 + $320,000 = $1,220,000
Either the bonds weren’t $21,000,000 in September of last year or they aren’t $16,000,000 now.
Maybe Molly will follow up at the next meeting.
The Council received NO emailed public comments and nobody showed up in person to protest higher property taxes. Congrats serfs.
Diane, you are so right we in Bloomington are all a bunch of serfs! And I accept your assessment with the way that it is presented.
I went to a council meeting earlier this year with the intent of speaking about real estate taxes as well as taxes for us seniors that live in Bloomington, but after looking at the council make-up I decided that I would just be wasting my time. It is quite obvious that those in power especially the city managers could give a crap about my problem.
I vote I put signs in my yard but the voters of Bloomington continue to elect these leftist air heads to control our city. For instance they elect a teacher whose salary and pension is paid mostly by real estate taxes, now how concerned is that person going to be about lowering my real estate taxes?
The television just had a special by Ken Burns about the revolutionary war, wow how upset were our founding fathers were about taxation by Great Britain and what they did with the tax on tea. Amazing the similarities about how the king taxed the colonist relentlessly and what our local leaders are doing.
Voting hasn’t worked so maybe we are in line for,God forbid a local revolution clean house and kick all council members out and fire all city managers!
Pretty extreme hugh! but again voting is not working the twin cities have become a mini Chicago!
All that is left is for me is to get out of this state as soon as my circumstances change I am gone unless I die first.
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
As usual the dichotomy in the council is striking.
Sheila Montney She goes it alone and as usual asks very important, hard questions – focusing on burdens the council is putting on all citizen taxpayers many of whom must cut back on something else every year to pay ever increasing taxes. Will we finally have enough money to take a vacation this year? Will we make it to the next paycheck?
Abby Scott – Angrily babbling for about 30 second in a half understandable response to Sheila Montney that says in effect – we don’t know what the future holds so we need to increase our budgets today!
“I do not want to pay in the future for costs we are saving today.”
WOW, I wish I could have used that justification in a budget meeting with my boss! But I would have gotten a wide-eyed stare and asked to leave the room. “Come back when you get serious.”
Scott’s response is completely devoid of any kind of critical thinking. She can’t comprehend the questions Sheila just asked so she reverts to an emotional retort that relieves her from considering facts and statistics about the issue. She calls herself a “facts-based decision maker”. A statistician. What a joke! She doesn’t care about the facts or anyone that can’t take a European vacation.
The silent ones. Apparently, they watch reruns of Friends in preparation for the budget talks. Are they too afraid to speak up because Sheila puts the discussion on a plane that is way above their heads? So, they just bob their heads and wonder what Rachel and Monica will do in the next episode.
This ship is sinking. Hardworking taxpayers and those on fixed incomes are struggling to stay afloat. Every added burden will pull another one under.
Isn’t it Mad Maxine Waters that said, “Get up in their faces!” Lol, people don’t bother to vote so there is no chance of even a disgusted look if met the street. B-N lack of voters that care enough to vote against the insanity is the problem.