Bloomington aldermen examine ways to close budget deficit

Posted on October 28, 2015

Bloomington mayor Tari Renner. (WJBC file photo)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington aldermen are starting to shed some light on where they might want to see the city plug its deficit.

At a recent Committee of the Whole meeting, aldermen highlighted four main areas they would like to cut based on a task force’s recommendations: the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, the city’s golf courses, sick leave buyback and downtown officer hire-back program.

“(The downtown hire-back program) costs us pretty close to about a half-million dollars,” Mayor Tari Renner said. “That’s something we may want to shift to those making profit off the bar scene and away from taxpayers.”

Renner told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin that one way the BCPA could cut costs is by merging booking operations with the U.S. Cellular Coliseum as the coliseum’s contract with Central Illinois Arena Management will expire soon.

The council decided against any changes to the sick leave buyback program this week over legal concerns.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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