By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner believes the city government’s financial situation is “fairly stable” after the city council last year eliminated regular bulky waste pick-up, which saved a little more than a $1 million.
Renner, delivering his yearly state-of-the city address Monday night, said the focus now and in future years should be capital investments, which he said have been neglected by many generations of city leaders. Renner said infrastructure repairs on sewers, streets, and sidewalks are needed.
He also wants the city to buy strategic downtown properties to generate development there, create a state-of-the-art library, help the struggling Eastland Mall, and build a new O’Neill Park swimming pool.
Renner said City Manager Tim Gleason has some great creative financing ideas for various projects. Economic success, said the mayor, can not be achieved by cutting spending or raising taxes.
“We’re always looking for efficiencies, but you’re not going to cut and gut your way to prosperity,” said Renner.
“And, you’re not going to tax your way to prosperity. The way that we can help improve for the future generations is by expanding the local economy,” the mayor said.
Over the years, Renner said the city has eliminated 200 government jobs. Frequent mayoral critic Scott Steimling said that’s not enough. He said the city should not be hiring a deputy city manager, who will make an annual salary of $152,500.
Steimling exclaimed, “Tim Gleason does not need a deputy city manager!”
Renner said it’s “absolutely essential” to have a deputy city manager.
Renner noted Bloomington has one of the lowest crime rates among Illinois’ metro areas despite an unusually high 11 homicides in the city last year. He hopes that’s just a temporary spike in the murder rate.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
