Normal is swimming in tax receipts

By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s fiscal year runs from April to the following March. The below shows why Normal plans to finally fix some infrasture next year. Reserves (Ending Fund balance) are HIGH! The data portal only has 2 years of data, comparison to pre-covid would have been handy. By April 2021 I think most businesses […]

It was supposed to be information for you – it’s not

By:  Diane Benjamin Last night the Bloomington City Council heard the first ever monthly Finance Director’s Report.  It’s great information that you will never see! Evidently reports are given to elected officials monthly.  The presentation last night was not included in the packet.  The reports were only shown on the screen, you will have to […]

Normal: Found in the financial statements

By:  Diane Benjamin If the Comptroller’s office ever does their job, comprehensive TIF reports will be available.  So far they don’t have the software completed to allow entry of information.  Information from 3/13/17 for Normal and 4/30/17 for Bloomington isn’t complete. Normal’s 3/31/17 financial statements: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/12750 PDF page 30: The Uptown TIF Fund reported a […]

David Hales thinks you are stupid

By:  Diane Benjamin Hales has posted his September City Managers report. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=11567 This is on page 2: Open the page and try the link! Where does it take you? ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ NO monthly financial reports, just old data from 4/30/16. Celebrate now:  The City of Bloomington is hiding tax receipt information! Remember […]

Normal’s 3 year tax history

By:  Diane Benjamin From the Illinois Comptroller’s website: Source:  http://warehouse.illinoiscomptroller.com/ProcessSearchResults.cfm?AFRDesiredData=Revenues&Code=064/095/31&CFY=2016&Menu=Yes&PrintIt=No For the year ending 3/31/2016 Notes: Normal is relying on Property and Sales Taxes more than they previously did. Bloomington has claimed that declining Utility Tax receipts means a decreasing population.  Is Normal shrinking? Licenses and Permits aren’t growing. . . .  

Finally some data!

By:  Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington Finance Department posted a summary as 4/30/16 – the end of the City’s fiscal year:  http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10958 The information is un-audited and tax receipts from State sources lag months behind, but the 63 pages provides a good snapshot of where finances were at the end of April. Below is […]

April City Manager’s report

By:  Diane Benjamin David Hales has posted his April City Manager’s report, but much of it is missing:  City Manager’s Report – April 2016 The biggest missing item:  Finance Previous reports have shown tax receipts above budget.  So why are those numbers missing from the April report?  David? ************************** Congrats to Golf: Out of the […]

Jan City Managers report-TAXES

By:  Diane Benjamin David Hales finally finished the January 2016 City Managers Report:  http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=9539 Attendance at the BCPA was dismal, but I guess that can be expected for January: The most interesting part of the report is tax receipts – see page 19.  Except for Auto Rental, all other taxes are above projections.  The additional […]

Hales DECEMBER report (oops!)

Anybody know if Nora sends this out? By:  Diane Benjamin The bigger government gets, the worse job they do.  Accountability becomes lower and lower because they feel invincible.  Since they play with your money, being correct isn’t a priority. Enter the City of Bloomington. David Hales has issued his December City Manager’s report.  It contains […]

Hales October Report:

By:  Diane Benjamin The October City Manager’s report is now on-line:  http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9452 Miller Park Zoo Revenue from admissions was up 13.3% for the current fiscal year. Last year, the revenue from admissions broke the all-time record for the Zoo in a fiscal year. This represents the fourth consecutive year the all-time attendance revenue record was […]

The truth about Bloomington taxes

By:  Diane Benjamin Monday night the Council will hear that almost every tax received is higher than budgeted. That must make citizens wonder why the Sales tax increase was rammed through! What’s the truth? The City of Bloomington LOWERED most expected receipts compared to what was budgeted last year: Maybe now they can pretend the […]

Snookered again Bloomington

By:  Diane Benjamin Two council meetings ago Renner rushed through a 1% Sales Tax increase.  .25% is going to the County, the rest was passed because Tari wanted it.  There was no specific purpose mentioned other than his “structural deficit”.  All that means is the City spends more than they take in. Monday night the […]