By: Diane Benjamin https://library.municode.com/il/springfield/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIIAD_CH30GEPR Quote from the Springfield City Code: Elected officers. The city’s elected officers shall consist of ten aldermen to be nominated and elected from ten single-member districts on a nonpartisan basis, and a mayor, city treasurer, and a city clerk to be nominated and elected at large on a nonpartisan basis. Elections shall […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit didn’t report their loss for June because 6/30/26 is their year-end. They always delay that reporting. https://connect-transit.com/file/4510/2026%2007%2028_BoT%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf It doesn’t matter how thick the bus wrap is to cover the windows. We still know those huge buses are empty and confirmed by what Connect reports monthly: . . For June 2026: […]
By: Diane Benjamin . . .are known by the company you keep? Keep reading: . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Elections in Bloomington aren’t nonpartisan because the violators during the last local election faced no consequences. If your kids swipe cookies with no consequences, do they keep swiping cookies? Duh. The City Code needs changed since it pretends candidates are nonpartisan. Pretending is over. Cody Hendricks, Jenna Kearns, and Abby Scott made […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes Day Care is expensive. Yes it is HEAVILY regulated by the State which means they contribute to making it expensive. Did you know Milestones Early Learning Center & Preschool was a non profit? Click that link to see their 6/30/2025 tax return. That tax return states they received $723,411 in government […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois is #1 in property taxes because the people elected at all levels in Illinois think government “needs” outway your right to keep the money you earned. This is the result of electing progressives or not bothering to vote at all. You get to pay for your house twice: . Assessed Values […]
By: Diane Benjamin This lady sent me a message: . Printing her message is probably really going to upset her! She didn’t like me posting the last picture in this story on Facebook: https://blnnews.com/2026/07/27/meet-state-farm-employee-megan-weidman/ She evidently doesn’t understand social media. Once posted it’s fair game which is the point of social media. Besides, it was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington city Council meeting was uneventful until the Finance Director’s Report. Remember last November when property taxes were increased? How about last September when the 1% grocery tax was passed? The City finances were in DIRE shape! Multi-million dollar deficits were expected. What’s the result of tax increases other than […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below was sent to me by a reader. Weidman’s Facebook page says she is: Research Director at State Farm Megan and her husband attended Pridefest last weekend. She posted the below: , Keep that last line in mind while you read more. . Megan is very inclusive unless your politics are […]
By Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4118/files/agenda/13925 Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32747/639203237356830000 Below is a payment to the Bloomington Election Commission which is paid by County taxpayers, not City of Bloomington: Of course no one has oversight over this office, especially not the people paying the bills. Taxation without representation! The only item on the Regular Agenda is […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you love acronyms. this meeting was for you! Start with BHCC – Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. This is the independent group that is not subject to FOIA or the Open Meetings Act. See their website here: https://www.mcleanbhcc.com/#members BHCC is the “experts” who determine the best use of the sales tax dollars […]
Home Sweet Home Mission wants Normal to pull this. I bet it happens. Approving Trail East and West construction could be interesting. Just not to me. By: Diane Benjamin Decisions, decisions. Watch Bloomington at 6:00 and Normal at 7:00? Normal thinks they can regulate the homeless out of Uptown Station: See PDF page 78: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5641 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sick of listening to politicians who want your vote this November? You still have 3 1/2 more months of trying to decipher lies from truth. If you blindly believe rhetoric the truth doesn’t matter. Remember the local elections few people bother to vote in? That election is April 6th of 2027 – […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council meeting last night was mostly uneventful. Other than Jenna Kearns attended by phone because of illness, John Danenberger was MIA, and Mollie Ward was wearing a Covid mask, the only news was a timeline for a data center ordinance: . The August 26th meeting panel will be the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4105/files/agenda/12887 A few of the items on the Consent Agenda and probably won’t be discussed: $5,216,280 of the increased water rates is being spent for Architectural and Engineering Services for the Systemwide Improvement Project. $2,182,950 will be spent on the South Main Booster System which will maintain and enhance the reliability, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pop-Up Chicken owner Aaron Francis create a large social media stir over the weekend when he decided not to pay employees time and a half for working on July 4th. If you didn’t see it on social media, read this story: https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/top-stories/pop-up-chicken-shop-holiday-pay-dispute/ He fired 6 employees for refusing to work without holiday […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the $3000 Sister Cities spent at Biaggis? https://blnnews.com/2026/06/22/bloomington-tonight-6-22-26/ The farewell banquet happened on 4/3/2026, nobody updated the Sister Cities website with pictures of this event: https://www.bnsistercities.org/sister-cities-blog Other events from the previous 2 days are there, just not this one. Below is what the FOIA I received shows. 80 people attended the […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) A Facebook group exists called No Data Centers Bloomington-Normal. I was not allow to post a comment which means this group doesn’t bother with facts. My comment pertained to newer technology called Closed Loop which means a huge water supply isn’t needed. Water used to cool keeps circulating and doesn’t need […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Code of Ethics was just passed on May 26, 2026 by the Bloomington city Council. Less than 1 month ago. Monday night Abby Scott violated it. I suspect she will again at the July Committee of the Whole meeting where her lack of respect for fellow alderman Sheila Montney will likely […]
h/t a reader See previous story: https://blnnews.com/2026/06/23/20-minute-bloomington-meeting-without-abby-scott/ Obviously the facts presented at the meeting and in the above story are immaterial if you govern as child. McLean County voters in District 10 can rid themselves of this menace in November. Break up the “power couple” gang. See below. Both Beirne and Scott raised your property […]
By: Diane Benjamin I wonder if Abby Scott uses the same tone at home with her husband Corey Beirne? Ward 9 needs to see who those who bothered to vote chose. Some members of the Council are still hurting over Sheila Montney being appointed to Behavioral Health Coordinating Council to represent the City of Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4117/files/agenda/12843 What bills are getting approved are more interesting than the Agenda: Sister Cities spent $3000 at Biaggis: Administration spent $2,033 at Avantis: Is this what the Front and Center land cost? Or is this the cost to turn it into a parking lot? Only a FOIA would tell. Three police […]
By: Diane Benjamin I usually post excerpts from interesting stories. This time you get one: AI is coming for manufacturing jobs, and America isn’t ready This entire story needs to be read: https://www.inc.com/abigail-bassett/rivian-ceo-rj-scaringe-warns-that-the-u-s-isnt-prepared-for-ais-impact-on-this-1-type-of-job/91361126 READ to the bottom!
By: Diane Benjamin Notable items from last night’s Bloomington Committee of the Whole meeting: City Manager Jeff Jurgens stated Bloomington is a growing city. From US Census website: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bloomingtoncityillinois/PST045224 . Jurgens also stated the City has 100 year old water mains and they leak. He knows they are behind replacing them. Lesson for voters (those […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Committee of the Whole agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4130/files/agenda/12818 The only Regular Agenda item is WATER. Making sure residents have water in the future is going to be expensive. See the Technical Summary: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4130/files/attachment/9574 I suggest jumping to PDF page 15 so your eyes don’t glaze over before getting there. The really expensive fixes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington’s latest budget is almost $318 million but the camera didn’t work last night. The meeting would have been 15 minutes but appointments and a proclamation used up time. 3 people spoke at public comment (see 17:55). Everything passed with no discussion. The only video is of slides presented. The first 10 […]
By: Diane Benjamin On the regular agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4104/files/report/5227 . The former Clay Dooley building is in the Downtown TIF. Premium Loaves plans to spend $4.2 million to turn it into the above. The corporate office will be on the second floor, the first floor will be available commercial space. The developer claimed the project required […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal played granny state and opted people into their electric aggregation program. Now we know the rate this year is higher than Ameren, people can opt out by contacting Ameren. Citizens are forced to fix government blunders or pay more money. Most will never get that message. The below […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Both Bloomington and Normal opted every household into electric aggregation. Now we know if everyone doesn’t opt out they will be paying more for electicity. The right thing to do is opt everyone out! Will government do it? Everyone affected will never hear they need to opt out. 2) Executive Session […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) For the first time I can remember, the Ecology Action Center has recommended opting out of electric aggregation because you will be paying more if you don’t. This applies to Bloomington and Normal. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-05-27/ecology-action-center-recommends-opting-out-of-electricity-aggregation-this-year I don’t know if it is too late to opt out, see this Bloomington link: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/community/municipal-electric-aggregation Normal: […]
By: Diane Benjamin A few weeks ago this post appeared on NextDoor: . This was one of the responses, obviously by a person who follows local politics: , Evidently some people are allowed to not follow rules: . A complaint was sent to the City back in March. Nothing has changed, the sidewalk is impassable. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sick of high property taxes? The City Council raised your taxes last year after being told they had no choice. The 1% grocery tax was added for the same reason. It’s dire. In the video below, go to 1:37:48 and listen to Sheila Montney. The Finance Director had just finished his report. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4116/files/agenda/12728 This easily puts Jurgens in the top 5% of all wage earners in the country: The meaningless ethics ordinance is on the Consent agenda, self regulating means no consequences: In case someone claims Bloomington isn’t paying for the improvements to Sunnyside park, it’s still tax dollars paying for it. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader West Washington, across from the Government Center in downtown Bloomington: Does this sign apply? Or this sign? Can you park for 2 hours or not? The signs are within feet of each other: . I suggest parking by the green sign, taking a picture of your vehicle and sign, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when Sonny Garcia called for a special meeting of the Bloomington Township to get this on the ballot: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/15/want-to-see-the-petition-signers/ That effort failed because citizens of Bloomington Township outnumbered his ilk. Time for Bloomington Township voters to do it again! This time the organizer is Zach Gittrich who appears frequently around town. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council was downright pompous about passing a shiny new ethics ordinance. How could anyone possibly oppose it? An ethics ordinance with zero penalties is completely worthless. They already ignore City Code with impunity — this will be no different. After all, they get to decide what’s ‘ethical,’ so violating […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the church at 411 E Mulberry that caved in? The City of Bloomington tore it down because it was an extreme hazard. Previous story: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/15/last-night-bloomington-council-2/ How much did that cost? (Invoices below) $300,606.18 + $10,794.77 + $59,727.80 + $11,546.11 + $12,217.00 = $394,891.86. How much has the City been reimbursed by […]
By: Diane Benjamin 29:50 public comment – guy has a problem with the Bloomington police. Has he taken his proof to the PSCRB? 36:50 public comment about Flock Cameras. Of course they are an invasion of privacy while making policing much easier. Many cities have determined that tradeoff isn’t worth it. Nothing was pulled from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4103/files/agenda/12675 I don’t have time today to analyze, read it yourself. The only regular agenda item is exchanging some property with IWU: . Just so you don’t forget, the City has $1,400,000 in that part marked 807. https://blnnews.com/2025/07/16/flashback-to-2016/ The City bought it in 2016 to control development. So far no one […]
By: Diane Benjamin Filing a Statement of Economic Interest is required by law to reveal conflicts of interest. Evidently the fines of $100 a day don’t start the day filing is past due. Fines should start immediately to cover the cost of Certified Mail and the staff time it takes to process mailings. Filing was […]
