Category: Tim Gleason

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington’s Public Safety has DEI Hiring Policies

By: Diane Benjamin A Bloomington Board we know little about: BOARD OF FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSIONERS I believe this is the same Board that recently ruled against Ty Carlton: https://blnnews.com/2025/09/01/two-things-you-need-to-know-7/ This link has the rules and regulations governing this Board: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29826/638355568072014235 Two excerpts from that link: . . Why does the underlined matter? Because changes […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington festivities and budget

By: Diane Benjamin 2 things from last night’s Bloomington Committee of the Whole meeting prove government doesn’t operate with the same mentality as the private sector: 1) . Donna Boelen resigned on December 23rd and was replaced last Monday by Michael Mosley. It must be too difficult to update slides used at Council meetings. (See […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Remember the Decatur Realtor?

By: Diane Benjamin https://blnnews.com/2024/06/19/foia-fail/ Vieweg Real Estate in Decatur collected $271,250 for acting as agent for both sides in the City buying the old Owens Nursery property. One possible explanation for Tim Gleason using a Decatur realtor is he thought the price would increase if he used a local realtor. In other words, he didn’t […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

FOIA Denied in Full

By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/06/19/foia-fail/ That story shows I requested two things: The emails were all redacted, at the time of that story they were still looking for Gleason’s letter. Yesterday they denied Part 2 because: Unfortunately, the City was unable to find the document requested after an extensive search. Did Tim […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

FOIA fail

By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’s 2 things from the City of Bloomington: The City can’t find Gleason’s letter, they want another 5 days: Part 2 of your request, which includes “Copy of Gleason’s Letter of Intent to work with Vieweg Real Estate”, requires additional time to complete a thorough department search. I have attached a […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More from last night’s City Council meeting

By: Diane Benjamin There was only one Public Comment – Marty Seigel. She spoke about local zoning policy. She is against the local “pack’m and stack’m” policy that has been promoted across the country for at least a decade. There is no proof housing becomes more affordable by encouraging developers to build infill apartment buildings. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Gleason should be investigated!

By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council did vote to buy the former Owens Nursery location but not before Alderman Sheila Montney revealed what Tim Gleason did. In January he made a verbal agreement with a realtor in Decatur to look for somewhere to relocate Public Works. He sent an email to the Council in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Was this MIS or DIS information Mboka?

By: Diane Benjamin Monday was Tim Gleason’s last meeting so the Mayor had to do a list of his accomplishments. Mentioned was getting them through COVID which wasn’t difficult when the Feds threw many millions of dollars to them and tax receipts skyrocketed because of inflation. The new budget is spending LESS on roads than […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Jeff Jurgens salary doesn’t leave room for merit raises

By: Diane Benjamin Tim Gleason’s base salary as City Manager was $212,862.84. The 2023 total compensation report is finally posted: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30290/638487793683670000 A contract for Monday night’s City Council meeting for Jeff Jurgens shows a base salary of $210,000. https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/2570155/Jurgens_CM_Contract.pdf Gleason had much more experience than Jurgens. Jurgen’s in a lawyer and Gleason isn’t. Since a […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

I don’t remember a vote, but . . .

By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has been tired of spending money on the Market Street Garage for many years, but I certainly don’t remember a vote to hand it over to Connect Transit. That garage belongs to Bloomington residents. I can’t wait to see how they make this one legal. An Intergovernmental Agreement will probably appear […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

(Updated) Breaking: Tent City dumpster on fire

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Another reader just sent this pic: Remember Public Safety is a high priority! Your taxes paid for the fire department response. 😁 Spraying water:

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Downtown spending instead of your roads

By: Diane Benjamin Future council are NOT bound by the actions of this council. If they were this plan from 2013 would have already been a reality: . If you want people elected who actually care about the roads, start voting for them! A few things in that plan were done, like Way Finding signs, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Decatur’s view of Gleason

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.decaturtribune.com/2024/04/03/city-beat-tim-gleasons-return-as-city-manager-is-good-news-for-decatur Except: Gleason didn’t get the job in Arizona: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-03-29/tim-gleason-reflects-on-his-six-years-as-bloomington-city-manager Also from the 1st article: Is this why Gleason “was interested in returning to Decatur”?

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tim Gleason Salary history

By: Diane Benjamin Decatur hired Tim Gleason as City Manager last night for the 2nd time. Fun facts: https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/decatur_il/bloomington_il/costofliving . Tim Gleason will get a salary of $230,000 a year in Decatur: https://www.decaturtribune.com/2024/04/01/city-council-affirms-gleason-as-city-manager-approves-new-universal-yard-waste-service/ Last time he was Decatur’s City Manager this was his salary – he came to Bloomington in 2018: Below is his salary […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

They are going to need more porta potties

Is this why Tim Gleason is leaving? Tent City growing! H/T a reader

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Gleason chooses Decatur?!?

Reported by WAND in Decatur: https://www.wandtv.com/news/tim-gleason-set-to-return-as-decatur-city-manager/article_8d4f69a8-ed38-11ee-85c2-8b0f4f2d2f4c.html After spending the last six years in Bloomington, Tim Gleason is poised to return to his former role of Decatur City Manager. Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe announced that the council intends on hiring Gleason during a news conference on Thursday. Current City Manager, Scot Wrighton, announced his plans to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington wants you to know:

In case you can’t read it, the email is from Bloomington’s Communications Manager Katherine Murphy: (copied) Wanted to make sure you had the updated link for last night’s meeting. A major tech problem happened just before the meeting started and we did our best to get the meeting on the stream but only had one […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Was Bloomington’s DEI hiring showing last night?

By: Diane Benjamin From the City of Bloomington website: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/departments/human-resources That statement means the BEST person applying for a job isn’t the one that gets hired. Bloomington chooses employees based on race, gender, etc. Going woke isn’t going to bankrupt them like many companies before them – they can always get more money from you! […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Do I have to report the Bloomington City Council meeting last night?

By: Diane Benjamin I don’t want to, so you will get a brief recap. Summary: Officials think they are on a roll. You will be thinking Coliseum fleece instead. See 1:55 A good number of the far left showed up at public comment to talk about affordable housing and why starting a business is hard. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

FYI Bloomington

While the administration and City Council were enthralled last night with their glorious plans for downtown, real people live in the rest of the City. The $10 million budgeted for streets and sidewalks isn’t gloat worthy, that doesn’t stop them from doing it anyway. Is this sidewalk on the list? Seen on NextDoor

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tonight: Bloomington discusses the two biggest wastes of your money!

By: Diane Benjamin For a change next year’s budget isn’t on the agenda. https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/4a76bdde-5bc1-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1710528364.pdf These two fleeces are on the agenda, of course nobody will admit the obvious. Is Bloomington going to build a downtown wall to keep tent city out of view? Will anyone ask how many electric buses are working now? Who exactly […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Council trying to buy Gleason?

By: Diane Benjamin The Council held an Executive Session last night, the mayor stated it was to discuss Tim Gleason. Considering he told WGLT he wanted the opportunity to counter the Arizona offer, that’s likely what was discussed. Gleason just got a 5% raise in September: https://blnnews.com/2023/09/11/tonight-gleason-gets-a-raise/ The mayor also stated Bloomington has momentum. “Momentum” […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Did Gleason tell Arizona he bows to the mob?

By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f6f358da-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-d854eb82-3702-4140-9de6-ac3a8e3f379d-1709935302.pdf In case you missed this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-03-07/bloomington-city-manager-is-a-top-candidate-for-arizona-job The only reason tent city still exists in downtown Bloomington is because the far left screamed at the City for planning to disband it. Some laws are okay to break which means all laws are okay to break if leadership is intimidated […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Front and Center building

By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington wants to condemn the Front and Center building since it’s been sitting empty for a long time. WGLT reported: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-02-29/bloomington-condemns-landmark-downtown-building-at-front-and-center If the current owners object, taxpayers get to fund a court battle. With or without legal fees taxpayers will get the demolition cost which includes asbestos removal. Keep […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Final on the Local Housing Assessment report

By: Diane Benjamin More from this story on the local Housing Assessment: https://blnnews.com/2024/03/05/ignoring-the-elephant-in-the-room/ PDF page 32 – copied and reformatted since the paragraph is difficult to read: Poverty levels have increased in McLean County over the last 5 years, Bloomington and Normal. Poverty is measured by the Official Poverty Measure (OPM), which measures pre-tax income […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Ignoring the elephant in the room!

By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Regional Planning Commission hired an Indianapolis firm to conduct a local housing survey. The draft version is available here: https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/a2/83/4592f3f04409bcdd453644d32b78/draft-final-rise-plan.pdf Comments can be made on this document until 3/14. I’m not close to going through all 97 pages, but problems are pretty easy to see. The chart on PDF […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

3 Things

By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Bloomington never used #5 Fire Station is being used, just not as a fire station. It’s a meeting hall as well as a garage for extra vehicles. Meeting this week: 2) One of my FOIA requests was denied by the City of Bloomington because they claim a complaint filed by […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Ty Carlton awards speak volumes!

By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d the City of Bloomington for awards given to Ty Carlton for the past 15 years. What I received isn’t the whole story. From the Bloomington Police Facebook page where Ty is mentioned a lot, this isn’t mentioned in the FOIA: This is what I received by FOIA, notice no details? […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Police: Walley, Moreland, Carlton

By: Diane Benjamin Three years ago a lawyer, Samantha Walley, tendered her resignation as the City Manager of Leroy. At the time she was in a kerfuffle with the Leroy Police Chief. She was and is married to a Bloomington Police Detective named Steve Moreland. Walley had previously worked in the States Attorney’s office. Walley […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Do you only see White doctors Gleason?

By: Diane Benjamin The policy under Tim Gleason in the City of Bloomington is to hire employees who resemble the people they serve. Just listen for 25 seconds: Gleason is talking about the rebranding program the Council never approved but now is expected to continue funding. If the majority of the Council wasn’t socialist the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

DEI Bloomington

By: Diane Benjamin There was a Township meeting before the Council meeting, Council doesn’t start until 59:00 on the video. This item on the Consent Agenda was pulled before the meeting: . The documentation says this Review Board hasn’t had a case since August of 2011 after being established in 2011, but that didn’t keep […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Connect Transit festivities tonight

By: Diane Benjamin Alderman Donna Boelen mentioned at the Council meeting last night Connect Transit hasn’t presented their budget to the City as required by the Inter-Governmental agreement. They never do. The budget includes $800,000 more for them anyway. It was reduced last year when CT said they didn’t need the money. Now it’s back. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Guess who is STILL Spiking Pensions

By: Diane Benjamin That’s to IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) for answering my FOIA request the same day it was filed! I filed it because there is another Accelerated Payment to IMRF on the Bills and Payroll to be approved Monday night. That practice should have ended years ago. If you don’t know what it […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

999 Bloomington employees

By: Diane Benjamin Payroll approved at the last Bloomington City Council meeting showed 953 employees. Payroll tonight shows 999. Source 1: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30070/638429797206570000 Source 2: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30104/638441880489500000 Evidently that still isn’t enough employees since two items are on the Consent Agenda to “brand” the City. $10,960 + $55,450 = $66,410 to make them Employer of Choice! I […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington tonight 😏

By: Diane Benjamin The 1/22/24 payroll showed 880 employees. Pay rate averaged $17.90 per hour for seasonal employees. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30014/638410997409630000 Tonight’s Bills and Payroll shows 953. Pay rate averaged $18.22 per hour for seasonal employees. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30070 Seasonal hours worked increased by 1,615. So, people are forced to take temporary jobs because full time jobs aren’t available? On the Agenda for […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

One more thing on the Coliseum

By: Diane Benjamin I saw a social media post asking why the arena was built downtown instead of along the interstate that could have brought people in from nearby cities. (Common sense?) I didn’t respond but the answer is clear. It was built downtown because the people who are elected to represent you have been trying for DECADES […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Admits the Obvious

By: Diane Benjamin Everyone should know by now the Coliseum never performed as sold to the citizens of Bloomington: It will never cost you a dime! Billy Tyus, Deputy City Manager, admitted the obvious to WGLT: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-02-01/with-hockey-team-in-place-bloomington-looks-to-bring-arena-back-to-life?fbclid=IwAR1YSf-4fJksOpolUowyg7i2Qz9WmQlSCllxjwsP0BTE2Yb7G6tkVC6F_6k Excerpt: Note: The hockey team won’t be around long if they have to help the city recoup costs. Meanwhile, Mike Matejka who […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How much has Connect Transit paid Proterra?

By: Diane Benjamin All previous electric bus stories: https://blnnews.com/2024/01/30/3-more-shocking-emails-electric-buses/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/30/foia-emails-from-rivian-to-connect-transit/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/24/connect-transit-random-finds/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/23/one-more-connect-transit-for-now/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/23/proterra-is-solyndra/ From this story: How much of your money has been wasted on Proterra buses? Since ADHD is both a blessing and a curse, I could have missed some payments. Note, Proterra filed for bankruptcy in August of 2023. The oldest electric buses are two […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

3 more BCPA event reports

By: Diane Benjamin It’s getting more difficult to match event reports with artists fees because the dates listed are frequently wrong. I don’t know if all the performance fees stating 12/15/23 are actually for that date. I haven’t found an artist fee dated 12/20. If all apply to 12/15 that show lost a lot of money. Look at the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington salts private property

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader It’s going to be hard to see, but this is a City of Bloomington truck dumping salt at a private gas station – corner of Main and Oakland. Did they salt your business or is this just a “government friend”?