By: Diane Benjamin The 2016 fiscal year for Bloomington ended April 30, 2016. The only financial information issued so far is the treasurer’s report: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=36 Issuing financial reports normally takes a ridiculous 6 months. That would be October. It’s now the end of November and still nothing. Did the City finance department screw up the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently the Bloomington City Council is now acting like Congress. Do nothing, can’t make decisions, and they need guidance. They must not trust their own opinions. I received the following email yesterday under the Freedom of Information Act. I knew that many “secret” meetings (Executive Sessions) had been held to considering David […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Mayor was on WGLT yesterday: http://wglt.org/post/bloomington-mayor-tari-renner-tif-district-downtown-and-city-manager-hales#stream/0 Much of the conversation was the same as his WJBC interview this morning. WGLT appears to love him and wants him re-elected since the host brought it up over and over. Renner plans to tout his record of creating minimum wage jobs to win! Expect […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night: That’s a 2.3% increase. Yep, the structural deficit worsens because government employees get what the people paying the bills don’t. Last year Hales earned $239,274.54 when benefits are added to his base pay. http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=5443 I wonder what the vote was. Considering many recent Closed Sessions (Secret Meetings) have featured “personal” […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s no surprise Coliseum financial reports and audits going back to when it opened in 2007 are not on the City of Bloomington website. It’s easy to see why. Luckily, I have copies of what CIAM reported. For the partial year of 2007, total revenue was $3,469,708 For 2008, total revenue was […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have a Status Hearing tomorrow on my court case against the City of Bloomington. This story recaps why I filed: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/02/court-update/ The Freedom of Information Act is very clear. The City of Bloomington wrongfully believes they are exempt, tomorrow I will find out if they plan to call witnesses. I already […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since Tari became Mayor the citizens of Bloomington have been taxed to death: 4% Amusement Tax Utility Tax increase 4 cent a gallon gas tax 1% Sales tax increase Solid Waste Increase Other increases? Tari claims inflation is causing the budget woes. How about some facts! Some citizens have been pouring over […]
By: Diane Benjamin That’s how long the packet for Monday’s Council meeting is. Ever get the idea David Hales doesn’t expect the packet to be read? Kind of like: “We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it.” I think the packet was posted on Thursday. See it here: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9364 What’s up […]
By: Diane Benjamin State’s Attorney Jason Chambers doesn’t agree with the Attorney General’s email from yesterday: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/03/bloomington-holds-illegal-meeting/ Not surprising since he didn’t see a problem with Mayor Renner announcing at a Council meeting that art is for sale in his City office: http://blnnews.com/2014/05/05/pay-to-play-okay-if-nobody-prosecutes/ Chambers interprets the City Code that the Mayor is part of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Article #3000! Surprise! Yet another way to ignore what people say. Remember the Citizen Summit – it’s been completely ignored. Needs over wants. Fix the roads. I think the citizens were perfectly clear! A reader emailed me about an automated survey call he received, sponsor was Public Policy Polling. Questions asked were: […]
By: Diane Benjamin The vote to raise the Sales Tax was rushed through the Bloomington City Council on purpose. Normal wanted more money, so Tari fixed the vote for Chris Koos. The reason given was the County’s year-end – they had to have their 1/4% fast. Instead of voting on just the 1/4% increase requested […]
By: Diane Benjamin Budget Task Force report: 4 meeting focused on cuts 1 meeting focused on Revenue The ONLY cuts discussed were cuts that have been discussed for YEARS: Make schools pay for the Resource Officer Make downtown pay for the Police Hire Back program – David Hales was charged with doing this years ago. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is so “blessed” to be run by people who have no interest in good government. All they want is money, more money, and control. The video failed to capture the beginning of the meeting. I wonder if that was so Tari shuffling the comment cards wasn’t shown. Public Comment was over […]
Update: The City just sent their daily propaganda. The title of the Coliseum loss story: Coliseum 1st Quarter Economic Impact Are the citizens sick of being lied to yet? By: Diane Benjamin Both the Pantagraph and WJBC have stories today about another BIG loss at the Coliseum. Obviously the City sent them a press […]
Note: Hales claims the tax numbers are from May. Not all these taxes are. This year the City notes on the report how many months are reflected. Last year they didn’t. See the original document at the link below for more information. By: Diane Benjamin From the August 10, 2015 City Council meeting – Watch […]
By: Diane Benjamin If my Internet hadn’t been down AGAIN for most of the day, I’d look up the video. Maybe you remember Renner talking about downtown: “We wouldn’t want a Jiffy Lube on the corner”. Did you elect a Mayor or god? Who gave him a right to decide what goes where? Maybe Jiffy […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is being told by City Manager David Hales there is no reason to fire CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management) when their current contract expires. CIAM has first right of refusal when a new contract is constructed. Hopefully it will be so radically different from the current contract that […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum was NEVER going to cost citizens a dime, at least that’s what citizens were told. Consultants predicted Revenues of more than $7,000,000 and large attendance at events. Income was projected to be $2,319,000 a year. See predictions here: Consultant: Hyman Review NOTHING predicted has come close to being true. Last […]
By: Diane Benjamin In September, I assume City Manger David Hales will be travelling to Seattle for this years ICMA conference. I’m pretty sure he goes every year, you will be paying the bills. Tari just got back from San Francisco at your expense. Maybe the City motto should be changed to “We see the Country […]
by: Diane Benjamin If the bird-cage liner or the low information radio station ever want creditability – here’s a tip: When a government official glibly says the law doesn’t say we can, or I can’t by law – CHECK the law! I’ve seen a pattern with the local officials. To deflect further questions or discussion, […]
By: Diane Benjamin On April 20th the Bloomington City Council held a meeting with area legislators. I hear only 2 showed. Here’s the facts: The meeting was held in a room where live-streaming wasn’t possible. The local bird-cage liner didn’t do a story on the event. Governor Rauner has proposed cuts to dollars sent back […]
Corrected – David Hales budget increases By: Diane Benjamin In honor of the Supreme Court meeting today to decide if the plan passed by the legislature to fix pension is legal: 2014 Total Compensation Report – City of Bloomington http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6713 Of course the report doesn’t include totals, so here they are: Salary: 37,123,891.83 Overtime: 3,308,160.59 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The US Congress gave up much of their power years ago. The EPA churns out rules and regulations to enforce what they think is important – not what Congress approved. The IRS attacks opponents of whatever administration is in power because they can. Congress won’t even withhold funding. The Department of Education […]
By: Diane Benjamin Some members of the Bloomington City Council worship the ground David Hales walks on. They practically pant when he speaks. David Sage is REALLY good at stopping criticism of anything Hales does – watch a few meetings on-line and you can see for yourself. Every year Hales’ salary is set in Executive […]
by: Diane Benjamin Look at the schedules events on the Coliseum website: http://www.uscellularcoliseum.com/calendar-of-events/ Nothing is scheduled that will make money in October. Go back to January 2014. There have been few if any big money events all year. Thunder Hockey has started with a dismal number of paying fans. There is no football, the new […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’ve written MANY times about the company hired to manage the Coliseum – CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management). Type CIAM into the search box at blnnews.com to see them. The City of Bloomington has failed in their fiduciary duty to the citizens of Bloomington by not providing over-site at the Coliseum. Concessions have […]
by: Diane Benjamin When Tom Hamilton was City Manager, everybody thought he did a great job. Now Hamilton is blamed for all the City woes. Tom Hamilton had a compliant Council, he was never questioned. Everybody thinks David Hales is doing a great job. He has a compliant Council. Wait for the stories when he […]
by Diane Benjamin Several times, City Manager David Hales has proclaimed in open Council session that the Coliseum (CIAM) is not taking all the commissions they are entitled to under the contract. The latest was at the June 9th meeting: . Is he right? This is the original contract for management of the Coliseum: Management […]
by: Diane Benjamin Part 1 Part 2 will be posted when the Coliseum discussion begins tonight. I’ve done many stories about Bart Rogers and John Butler, the 2 guys hired by the City to manage the Coliseum. At tonight’s City Council meeting, 10 minutes has been allotted to discuss revisions to the CIAM contract. I […]
by: Diane Benjamin Mayor Renner has repeated over and over the Council has been discussing the budget for 9 months. Scott Black was on Cities 92.9 this morning with a different story. According to Scott, the Aldermen had private meetings with City Manager David Hales starting in late February. Hales met with them 2 at […]
The Flex Basketball team at the Coliseum got thrown out of the league they play in. The excuse used was “unwillingness and inability to participate in the championship series.” REALLY? Who’s scamming who here? City of Bloomington? Central Illinois Arena Management? John Butler? Bart Rogers? First CIAM wants an amateur hockey team, and now no […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’ve written before about Bart Rogers, but now it’s getting funny! Somebody is in full CYA mode. The contract the City of Bloomington has with Central Illinois Arena Management says the General Manager of the Coliseum must have ONLY the job of General Manager: According to the 2004 contract Bloomington has with […]
by: Diane Benjamin I have written many times about the potted plants on the City Council. Only 2 council members bother to ask questions on most issues, the rest sit back and cheer for whatever is proposed. Meanwhile, Mayor Renner has been vilifying the Council for not approving his tax increases or proposing their own […]
by: Diane Benjamin The most appalling revelation from the Bloomington budget discussion for me was this: Mayor Renner and City Manager David Hales have made no attempt in past year to see where the budget can be cut. Renner didn’t want to discuss golf at this meeting or any other big cuts, he expected the […]
by: Diane Benjamin At last night’s Council meeting, David Hales claimed the 619 City employees were over-worked and under paid. The salary information is now listed on the City website: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=5443 Below is a recap of the number of employees by salary: . . . . . . Estimated median household income in 2011: […]
by: Diane Benjamin Did you know City employees aren’t allowed to talk to Council members? Why would the City have that policy? Maybe to make sure the Council doesn’t have a clue what really happens in the City government! Very transparent. But, then there is the garbage cart roll-out. Evidently it’s not going well if […]
The Bloomington City Council hasn’t learned any lessons. This week the City Council rushed through a summer project for juvenile offenders with no measurements to judge success or failure. Next August or September, a kid or two will appear before the Council and rave about how the program changed his life, then a permanent program […]
I hear the Bloomington City Council is debating how to get rid of the UN flag and still save face. They would look like idiots if it is mentioned at a public meeting since to date citizens have been completely ignored. The City Manager wants it gone – is somebody just going to run off […]
