By Joe Ragusa
BLOOMINGTON – All options are on the table when it comes to fixing Bloomington’s budget.
The city council expects a $7 million deficit in the fiscal year 2017 budget. Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner said after Monday night’s work session residents can see a combination of service cuts and revenue increases.
“One of the things, in terms of user fees, we can increase the fees for people using our golf course or our recreation programs,” Renner said. “We certainly have liquor license (fees) that haven’t gone up in 33 years.”
Alderman Kevin Lower was the only alderman who said he favored just cuts to the budget. Alderwoman Karen Schmidt says a property tax increase should be considered.
“What we’ve done in not raising property taxes is to begin to impose a series of fees and taxes that many of which I consider to be, and I think I speak for many of our citizens, to be regressive,” Schmidt said.
The council didn’t raise property taxes for the current fiscal year, but the city’s 2014 tax levy rose $500,000. A majority of that money goes to pensions.
Alderman David Sage, co-chairman of the city’s Budget Task Force, led discussion of the budget during the work session.
LISTEN: Bloomington City Manager David Hales talks about the city’s budget with WJBC’s Scott Laughlin.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].
