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Local Government

Articles in this section cover Bloomington city council, the mayor's office, Monroe County's board of commissioners, county council, and all the other local units.

Monroe County council adds $1M in support for Beacon Center to proposed 2027 budget, after $4M financing setback

Monroe County council adds $1M in support for Beacon Center to proposed 2027 budget, after $4M financing setback

Monroe County’s proposed 2027 budget now includes $1 million in ED LIT money for Beacon Inc.’s planned West 3rd Street housing and shelter complex, helping fill a $4 million financing gap that forced the nonprofit to split construction into two phases.

CBU fills in some details behind countywide boil-water advisory, including 1.06 NTU reading

CBU fills in some details behind countywide boil-water advisory, including 1.06 NTU reading

A power outage and equipment failures at Bloomington’s water plant led to a brief turbidity violation and countywide boil-water advisory. The measurement showing levels too high came about 5 p.m. Saturday, and fell below the limit by 6 p.m. It was not announced to the public until 12:04 a.m. Sunday.

Monroe County local income tax group mulls shared municipal rate approach

Monroe County local income tax group mulls shared municipal rate approach

Monroe County’s MUST ended its first meeting without recommending a local income tax rate. But members showed support for a shared municipal-services approach that could let Bloomington replace revenue a city-only rate could not. Bloomington Transit funding is an open question.

Monroe County jail notebook: Population still routinely over functional capacity

Monroe County jail notebook: Population still routinely over functional capacity

Monroe County’s jail held 236 people Saturday, Sept. 19, above the ACLU’s 229-person functional-capacity estimate. The 10-day rolling average was about 232, down from roughly 254 in late July. At least 585 people left the jail during the 61-day span. The median stay was 2 days.

Update: Some Bloomington supportive apartments stay closed to new tenants after failed inspections

Update: Some Bloomington supportive apartments stay closed to new tenants after failed inspections

Thirty-two of 61 apartments at Bloomington’s Crawford supportive housing complex are vacant but cannot be leased because both buildings failed city inspections. Officials say restoring the units is increasingly urgent amid limited housing options for people experiencing homelessness.

Bloomington council appoints Ammerman to transit board, sends Cross removal question to committee

Bloomington council appoints Ammerman to transit board, sends Cross removal question to committee

Bloomington’s city council appointed Zach Ammerman to the Bloomington Transit board. The council referred the proposed removal of historic preservation commissioner Reynard Cross to a council committee, which is expected to report back Oct. 14.

Bloomington council approves citywide zoning changes 5–3, eliminates minimums for motor-vehicle parking

Bloomington council approves citywide zoning changes 5–3, eliminates minimums for motor-vehicle parking

Bloomington’s city council voted 5–3 to approve zoning changes that shrink minimum lot sizes, and eliminate motor-vehicle parking minimums among other things. Supporters said the changes could ease housing construction. Opponents warned of parking and redevelopment impacts.