by: Diane Benjamin Why is Illinois so corrupt? Because laws are for citizens not government. Laws for all levels of government are clearly spelled out in the Illinois Constitution. Government thinks they are immaterial. Laws only matter if the elected officials and public servants hired by government enforce them. They see no reason to comply, […]
According to the local paper, tax revenues in Normal have been affected by State Farm’s transfer of people out of the local area. Funny thing, Bloomington still thinks their town is growing! If they did admit the obvious, spending would have to be cut! Think your Democrat Mayor is going to allow that? Think Normal […]
by: Diane Benjamin The following information comes from the City of Bloomington – Budget in Brief numbers. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2014 http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=5104 http://www.cityblm.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=7075 How many times have either Mayor Renner or City Manager David Hales talked about the huge reduction in staff at the City of Bloomington. They cut to the bone! Below is a recap of the […]
by: Diane Benjamin The INTERNATIONAL City Managers Association sends an email every day with links to stories they find interesting. I’m sure Mayor Renner and David Hales are on the email list. There is no need to hire an outside firm to do the study, just read your email. Today they have this story: The […]
by: Diane Benjamin The INTERNATIONAL City Mangers Association sends an email everyday. For once they have an article Renner and Hales need to read. Hales and Renner have mentioned morale is low at the City because employees have trouble balancing work and home life. (Like everybody doesn’t!) Hales is the direct supervisor of employees. The […]
by: Diane Benjamin It was a dark Council that resumed open session last night after a much longer than scheduled Executive Session (Secret Meeting). The air was tense, it wasn’t hard to read between the tenacious exchanges what was really happening. David Hales lovers were playing CYA for him! I’ve reported before that employee morale […]
by: Diane Benjamin According to the Pantagraph today the Coliseum lost $183,727 for the year that ended April 30, 2014. Funny how no un-audited financial statements are available. The CIAM throws un-audited numbers out as fact and the local media laps them up and dutifully reports them. CIAM issues a Press Release and you are […]
by: Diane Benjamin According to the Coliseum’s own reporting, the building produced an economic impact of $98,000,000 since opening! http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6569 Did you get your cut? Is the City of Bloomington debt free because of all this economic activity? Are incomes rising? Are property value in downtown Bloomington rising? (Not the Pantagraph building: http://blnnews.com/2014/06/20/how-did-the-pantagraph-manage-this/) City Manager […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Council and citizens were promised a full report on the Coliseum. David Hales allotted 10 minutes at tonight’s meeting. 10 minutes? Really? STAY TUNED – more later today . . .
by: Diane Benjamin Mayor Renner summarized the Council comments concerning David Hales, and he added a few of his own. These comments were prior to the Hales evaluation which resulted in Hales receiving a 3% raise. The Council vote was 7-2 for increasing Hales’ salary. Hales is now paid $176,439, not including substantial benefits and car […]
by: Diane Benjamin Usually the public doesn’t get to know how the Council evaluates City Manager David Hales. These discussions take place in Executive Sessions – secret meetings – then the Council votes NOT to release the minutes to the public. Evidently they don’t want anybody to know what they think. Surprise – now you […]
by: Diane Benjamin City Manager David Hales was on WJBC last week defending his hiring of fired Mattoon City Administrator Sue McLaughlin. He claims he knew all about her firing. He also claimed that people in her position create both friends and enemies and there was nothing unethical about her attempting to sell City property to […]
by Diane Benjamin Bloomington City manager David Hales and Mayor Renner want to raise your taxes – they just don’t have enough money. Pensions aren’t funded, the roads are despicable, a pretty new parking garage is unusable, the Coliseum and BPCA are gulping your money – but YOU need a Master Bike Plan! More Quality […]
by: Diane Benjamin Steve Vogel has taken to writing comedy for his occasional editorials in the Pantagraph. The only not hilarious part is that he finally disclosed that his daughter was Mayor Renner’s campaign manager twice. Even the President doesn’t blame Bush anymore Steve. After 5 (FIVE) years the excuse wasn’t working anymore. Blaming Tom […]
by: Diane Benjamin Add to the title: And the Aldermen who voted to give him another contract and a big raise! Of course, you don’t know which ones did because they also voted to NOT release the minutes of Executive (Secret) meetings where they do the evaluations. Think the 7 potted plants. Same thing happened to […]
by: Diane Benjamin At last Monday night’s City Council meeting a BIG item was on the agenda. The agenda is done by City Manager David Hales and Mayor Renner, but it seems like Renner either changed his mind or Hales put the item on the agenda without Renner’s knowledge. The members of the Council have […]
by: Diane Benjamin You can read the minutes of the 2 day retreat here: http://cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6221 Start on page 105 Culture change and more taxes were hot topics at the 2 day retreat of the Bloomington City Council last November. The minutes don’t say what culture change is except the Council is supposed to “have […]
by: Diane Benjamin Governor Quinn’s salary for managing a whole state is: Division Title YTD Gross CONSTITUTIONAL ELECTED STATE OFFICIALS GOVERNOR $177,411.96 Monday night the Rubber stamp 7 will okay a raise for David Hales: The base salary of the City Manager is established to be $176,439.00 effective January 12, 2014. At least he is […]
Word is out the Bloomington City Council is considering a big raise of City Manager David Hales. The Mayor thinks he should be compared to corporate CEO’s. I think he should be compared to Gov Quinn – you know the guy in charge of Illinois. Guess how much Quinn makes? http://accountability.illinois.gov/Employees/Employee/EmployeeDetails.aspx?Year=2013&Agency=0&ID=8ad855bc-8072-e311-bd9f-0019bb3ad8e6 Division Title YTD Gross […]
Make sure you see this post too: http://blnnews.com/2013/12/31/more-on-hales-getting-a-big-raise/ by: Diane Benjamin The email below was obtained under the Freedom of Information act. It concerns ongoing discussions of David Hales job performance. Mayor Renner seems to think David Hales should be compared to the CEO of a major corporation. If Bloomington was a corporation, it […]
by: Diane Benjamin Didn’t the City ask residents to conserve water – just a few weeks ago? http://cityblm.org/index.aspx?recordid=435&page=18 The City Manager’s Monthly report for OCTOBER just got posted on December 20th. Can everybody say: “The private sector wouldn’t tolerate waiting this long for information!” From the Water Department : The City experienced above average […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph today expanded the story on the Open Meetings Act violation alleged by Alderwoman Judy Stearns. Rachel Wells included comments from Mayor Renner: http://www.pantagraph.com/stearns-requests-review-under-open-meetings-act/pdf_7b457508-6919-11e3-9910-001a4bcf887a.html The letter sent to the Attorney General by Stearns made serious allegations, if they weren’t serious the Attorney General would not have agreed to investigate. Renner called […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is once again considering what David Hales should be paid as City Manager. Here is some information they should consider: Decatur is bigger than Bloomington – around 81,000 residents. Their City budget is only $130 million as opposed to Bloomington’s which is at least $169 million. They […]
The annual required payment wasn’t ever enough to adequately fund pensions. Obviously making even the required payment wasn’t a priority. Most of the City Council voted YES on budgets knowing pensions weren’t funded. Now they want to raise gas and/or utility taxes because they couldn’t find cuts in the $169,000,000 budget for […]
by: Diane Benjamin Police Officer Scott Oglesby was fired was fired in 2011. An arbitrator ruled the firing was unjust, but the City via Todd Greenburg appealed. Meanwhile, Scott is still out of work unjustly. The City has no case, but Mayor Renner has told me he doesn’t have the votes on the City Council […]
by: Diane Benjamin Since the Financial Statements for the City of Bloomington have very little detail, and even less information is available on-line, I have to file Freedom of Information Act requests for information. Lately many sources have been saying David Hales saved the city. I’m looking at page after page of expenses only entered […]
by: Diane Benjamin On September 21, 2013 the Pantagraph had a front page story about Brian Barnes, the former City of Bloomington Finance Director. The article was very out-of-place since it was from 2008. Maybe the Pantagraph can’t find anything current to investigate. If they need help, I can suggest a myriad of possibilities. Rachel […]
by Diane Benjamin A few years, the City of Bloomington was found to be over-paying for insurance – as much as $1.5 million per year! Then mayor, Steve Stockton, and City Manager Tom Hamilton were on the board of RimCo, the company getting all your tax dollars. Where was the multi-part Pantagraph investigation? Did the […]
A reader told me Chris Koos heavily advertises his 2 businesses on WJBC and B104. Does this influence how they cover Normal’s government? by: Diane Benjamin Everybody knows the Coliseum is a disaster for taxpayers. It does NOT make money and is a couple million dollars away from even breaking even. The rosy reports published […]
The buzz is the Bloomington Police Union wanted anybody but the guy David Hales picked to be the new police chief. It’s not about the guy personally, it is about his experience. Why would David Hales hire the guy anyway? Evidently, the Mayor and the Council had no vote. Why do we have elections […]
Type “Hales” in the search box for TONS more information! by Diane Benjamin Don’t jump to the end – it will say where this information is from, but have fun reading until then! All quotes: In both previous evaluations, the council said Hales exceeded expectations, rating him an average of 3.9 out of 5 in […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council was NOT consulted about the choice of Carol Struck to be interim head of the BCPA. They weren’t even consulted on whether the BCPA needed an interim manager. Just like the money given to the West side churches for the summer youth program, the BCPA has never been […]
by: Diane Benjamin Carol Struck was named the BCPA’s Interim Performing Arts Manager. The problem is Carol Struck moved to Arizona! So how much is Bloomington paying her? $150 per day for every day she is in Bloomington including weekends Plus $2000 per month David Hales, are you seriously saying there is NOBODY that lives […]
by Diane Benjamin County and City governments are now governing by committee. In order to move things along faster, government has decided that various committees would examine issues, draw conclusions, and then report to the full board for a vote. Bloomington has 9 alderman and 3 main committees: Administration and Finance, Infrastructure, and Public Safety. […]
by Diane Benjamin Tonight the City Council will approve a huge raise for David Hales. The poor guy hasn’t received a pay raise since he was hired, his salary is only $150,000 per year. Everything is so great in Bloomington, he obviously deserves an increase! The roads are great and pensions are funded. The City […]
Roads are more and more difficult to navigate without major car repairs, pensions are seriously under-funded, union employees are very unhappy with Hales, staff levels continue to increase after paying people to quit, mandatory disclosures to the public haven’t been done for YEARS, outsourcing (managed competition) was badly handled – but the current lame duck Bloomington City […]
Dave Hales is quoted in today’s Pantagraph. Instead of naming Clay Wheeler – who evidently wants the permanent job, another guy has been appointed interim Police Chief: “to help ensure there’s no perception or undue advantage that would accrue to Clay during the selection process”. The same policy didn’t apply to the open Bernie Anderson seat Mr Hales? […]
by: Diane Benjamin 2018 is not going to be a good year! From page 85 of the CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) After re-financing general obligation bonds to a lower interest rate (good thing) and putting off massive principle payments another 2 years (bad thing), the large payments start in 2018: 2013 $5,559,764 2014 […]
Bloomington Mayor and City Manager announced to the Council that the CAFR (Financial Statement) would NOT be released as required by law on 10/31/2012. This is a misdemeanor offense. Cities do not have the ability to set their own rules! Shouldn’t rules be applied equally to all citizens? Shouldn’t the entire city council and the city manager be […]
Update: I’ve now learned the replacement flag was purchased by a citizen, not the City. by Diane Benjamin Numerous citizens have asked the Bloomington City Council to remove the UN Flag from the Council Chambers. They have refused to openly discuss the issue, but privately they email each other. Here’s how they feel about the […]
