By: Diane Benjamin
Last December Bloomington staff claimed Armageddon is eminent if property taxes aren’t raised. 7 of the 9 Council members fell for it: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/16/rent-to-increase-again-in-bloomington/
The 1% grocery tax was added in September of 2025 to replace the 1% the state wasn’t collecting for them anymore. After claiming for months they weren’t going to implement it, they did. Only 3 of the 9 voted against this one: https://blnnews.com/2025/09/23/city-has-needs-yours-are-immaterial/
Only one alderman voted against both: Sheila Montney.
It didn’t take long for the City to admit receipts were higher than expected: https://blnnews.com/2026/07/28/bloomington-your-wealth-is-now-ours/
Today Bloomington has money to give away: https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/bloomington-launches-microgrant-program/
Government fails to understand the best way to benefit the community is to let people spend their own money according to their needs.
Bloomington doesn’t allow you to keep your money!
Read the CI Proud story and see if you notice what’s missing. I’ll wait.
No, I’m not talking about government picking winners and losers. No, I’m not talking about money stolen from people least able to afford it so government can redistribute it to friends. No, I’m not talking about the people who will never see grants even it they apply.
All of those are evil enough. The writer of the story forgot to ask a HUGE question. Figure it out yet?
No, I’m also not talking about the lack of accountability by the grant recipients. Checks will be written and we won’t hear a word until they need more.
No, I’m not talking about zero references to when the council approved this. Was it in the budget? Yes it is!
Follow Along!
The City is taking money from Community Development, Illinois Housing Authority Grants, and the JM Scott Trust and handing it to Community Grants.
From the 2027 budget, PDF page 299 (link below)
Good thing I used to be a CPA so I can explain this to you. First note “Community Grants” didn’t exist in 2025 or 2026 because all the columns are ZERO.
Next, the RED box shows the money taken from the other funds for Community Grants – Total $122,750. That is the number missing from the CI Proud story! They never asked Katherine Murphy how much the City was giving away? Seriously?
Now see the BLUE arrow. Bloomington is spending $694,125.62 on salaries, benefits, pension funding and miscellaneous to give away $122,750.
.
PDF page 300: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showdocument?id=32655&t=639171113327755380
They plan to keep giving away money through 2031 and spending WAY more to do it.
If this doesn’t make you understand the concept of LIMITED GOVERNMENT – you never will. I call this theft.
I wonder how taking money from a healthcare trust the City manages is legal?
WGLT has an almost identical story. Journalism must be too tough.
The cities of Bloomington Normal have slowly fallen prey to those tax and spend and tax and spend leftists. As our founding fathers discovered the only fix was a revolution. Unfortunately the kings of past are no longer across the ocean they are right here in the state of Illinois and our communities. Voting has proven to be unsuccessful with getting rid of these tax and spend leftists. It’s time to dump the tea into the harbor!!!
You will pay what Cody , Molly , Abby , Jenna and John say you’re going to pay or you can sell out and move.
It’s all a shell game to redistribute wealth at the local level and start funding new socialist programs to promote further reliance on the government. It’s happening at the Township, municipal, and County level, but the elected Socialists gaslight us saying they are not Socialists and we are conspiracy theorists. Either they are conniving, or stupid and can’t see the long game. Once Pandora’s box is opened, it will never close. If people default on their property taxes, the County takes the property. If B/N Land Trust proponents get in office, like Mark Adams, Alex Duffy, and Tanner Starr, government grants will start government landownership. The government will pay for childcare and raise your kids based on their curriculum (like IL does with existing pre-school grants – you can’t tell the child “no”). On and on and on. People need to go back a few years and watch the City Council meetings where the local Communists spoke during public comments. Notice they don’t show up any more because they are getting what they wanted.
Voters that bother to vote want their free stuff.
https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32833/639250569405700000
John M Scott is primary to be used for health related needs. Note the Staff person responsible for grants is, William Bessler, M.B.A., Community Development Manager, Community Impact & Enhancement Department, City of Bloomington, (309) 434-2343, wbessler@cityblm.org Bessler (D) is a current County Board member.