The recruitment challenges faced by Bloomington’s police department are well established: Around 20 of the budgeted 105 sworn officer positions have been vacant through this year.

The year-end appropriations that are cued up for a first reading at this Wednesday’s meeting of Bloomington’s city council give a rough idea of how much money has been left unspent towards police salaries, due to the shortage of officers.
To be released out of the personnel category for the police department is $870,000, which will make that amount available to be spent by other departments on other things—like this year’s city elections and a lease buyout at the animal shelter.
When Appropriation Ordinance 23-08 is put to a vote at next Wednesday’s meeting, on Dec. 13, that will wrap up the council’s approvals of spending activity for the year.
Most of the financial activity that the council will be asked to approve with the ordinance is about moving money from one place to another inside the general fund, with no overall negative fiscal impact. Continue reading “Bloomington budget notes: Vacant police positions help pay for elections, animal shelter lease buyout”