Tag: local income tax

2024 local govt budget season kickoff: Draft plan for Bloomington Transit includes $12M for land purchase

BT’s Grimes Lane facility is outlined in red. The image is oriented with west at the top. It is taken from the Monroe County property lookup system.
Fixed route ridership for BT through June 2022.

This past Tuesday’s meeting of Bloomington Transit’s five-member board included a first look at the 2024 budget for the city’s public transportation agency.

The biggest chunk of the draft 2024 budget is about $12.5 million for acquisition of land to expand BT’s bus storage and maintenance facility.

At around $26.3 million, the draft 2024 budget is about $9 million less than the $35 million the board approved last year.

But that’s still $11 million more than the roughly $15-million budgets for the previous three years.

BT board chair James McLary called the 2024 plan a “very aggressive budget.”

The roughly $15-million budgets for the three years starting in 2020 already reflected a substantial increase, compared to the roughly $9- to $10-million budgets before that.

For each of the last four years, the biggest increases have come in the category of capital expenditures. Bloomington Transit is purchasing battery-electric buses as replacements for buses that have reached the end of their useful life—with a goal of running an all-electric fleet by 2050.

Last year, BT put extra money into electric bus acquisition, just to add to the size of its fleet—to prepare for running a new east-west express route, after a study is completed to analyze the route’s exact alignment and scheduling.

This year, the capital expense category is still the biggest fraction of the budget, but that’s mostly because there’s a $12.5-million item in that category labeled “land acquisition.”

The idea is to use about $2.5 million of local money to match a hoped-for federal grant that will cover the cost of the roughly $12.5-million project. Continue reading “2024 local govt budget season kickoff: Draft plan for Bloomington Transit includes $12M for land purchase” →

Column: Looking ahead to local government news in 2023 like a goose landing on a half frozen pond

A week ago, up at Miller-Showers Park, a flock of Canada geese banked overhead and came in for a landing on the southernmost stormwater detention pond.

The surface was half frozen, because a couple days before the temperature had dropped to –8 F.

As elegant as geese appear in flight formation, on landing they do not make a picture of grace. They sort of wobble along the final approach, webbed feet akimbo, before mostly crashing into the water.

But they were, of course, unscathed. They started cruising around, dabbling for whatever aquatic plants were under the surface.

That’s somewhat like how local government works: It’s elegant and smooth in theory, but when it lands on some particular topic near you, it might look a little clumsy. You might get splashed.

Where will Bloomington’s area local government land in 2023? Here’s a roundup of spots that is surely not exhaustive. Continue reading “Column: Looking ahead to local government news in 2023 like a goose landing on a half frozen pond” →

Bloomington Transit OKs 5-year deal, will get $3.8 million annually from city’s local income tax

Bloomington Transit will receive at least $3.8 million a year for the next five years from the city of Bloomington, under an interlocal agreement approved by BT’s five-member board at its final meeting of the year, on Dec. 20.

The agreement still needs to win approval from Bloomington’s city council.

The deal is expected to appear on a city council meeting agenda sometime in January, based on remarks from BT general manager John Connell at last week’s board meeting.

The money is coming from the increase to the local income tax that was approved by the city council in May of 2022.

The big initiative that the money is supposed to help fund is an east-west crosstown express route.

Some other specific initiatives that the money is supposed to pay for include: implementation of Sunday service in the first quarter of 2023; enhancement of the paratransit microtransit services; increasing frequency of weekday service; and development of a ridership subsidy program.

The new transit initiatives come as BT is clawing back ridership on its regular fixed route service, after a big drop when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. Continue reading “Bloomington Transit OKs 5-year deal, will get $3.8 million annually from city’s local income tax” →

Bloomington nixes zoning request for new jail, puts off purchase of Showers building as police HQ

The purchase of the western part of the Showers building, which also houses city hall, won’t be decided by Bloomington’s city council until next year.

But in a separate action on Wednesday night, the council did effectively decide that the site of a new Monroe County jail will not be the county government’s first choice, which was an 87-acre piece of land in the southwestern corner of Bloomington.

On a 7–2 vote on Wednesday night, the city council postponed consideration of the $8.75-million Showers building purchase, which would be made by the Bloomington redevelopment commission, if the council approves the deal. Dissenting on the postponement were Matt Flaherty and Jim Sims.

On Jan. 18, 2023, the council will again take up the question of buying the western part of the Showers building, to serve as the city’s main police station, and fire department’s administrative headquarters.

It was on a 0–9 vote, taken just a few minutes before midnight on Wednesday, that the council denied the county government’s rezone request for the 87-acre parcel in the southwestern corner of the city so that a new jail could be constructed there. Continue reading “Bloomington nixes zoning request for new jail, puts off purchase of Showers building as police HQ” →

$29.5 million in bonds OK’d by Bloomington city council, decision on building purchase to come later

Bloomington city council. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Jim Sims. (Dec. 7, 2022)
From left: Bloomington city councilmember Dave Rollo and city council attorney Stephen Lucas. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Ron Smith. (Dec. 7, 2022)
From left: Bloomington city council attorney Stephen Lucas and assistant city attorney Larry Allen. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington fire chief Jason Moore. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington deputy chief of police Scott Oldham. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington police union president Paul Post. (Dec. 7, 2022)
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. (Dec. 7, 2022)

Bloomington’s city council voted 8–1 on Wednesday night to approve the issuance of $29.5 million in general revenue bonds, to pay for public safety projects—including the purchase and renovation of the western part of the former Showers Brothers Furniture building that houses city hall.

But the purchase of the western part of the historic Showers building was not included in the city council’s Wednesday approval. That vote is expected on Dec. 21.

The western part of the Showers building is where Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s administration is proposing to construct a replacement for the 3rd Street police station, and a new fire department administrative headquarters.

Also included in the bond proposal is the reconstruction of Fire Station #1 and the remodel of Fire Station #3, among other projects, for around $10.5 million.

The appropriation for the expenditure of $8.75 million for the building purchase, plus about $15 million in renovations, will get a first reading at next Wednesday’s (Dec. 14) meeting of the council, with a final vote expected the following week, on Dec. 21.

Together with the appropriation ordinance, the council will be asked to approve the Bloomington redevelopment commission’s purchase agreement for the Showers building.

Dissenting on the bond issuance vote was city council president Susan Sandberg.

Based on remarks from councilmembers on Wednesday, the Showers building purchase might not get the same level of support as the bond issuance, but seems likely to have the five votes it would need to win approval from the nine-member council. Continue reading “$29.5 million in bonds OK’d by Bloomington city council, decision on building purchase to come later” →

Police union speaks against specific plan for location of new police facilities in city hall building

Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Kate Rosenbarger. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Jim Sims. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington city councilmember Dave Rollo. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Deputy mayor Don Griffin. In the foreground is Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Deputy mayor Don Griffin. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Police union president Paul Post. (Nov. 30, 2022)
Schematic for rebuild of Fire Station #1.

Last Wednesday, president of Bloomington’s police union, Paul Post, led off his public commentary at Bloomington’s city council meeting with a general statement of support for the administration’s plan to upgrade and modernize the city’s police station.

“We fully support mayor [John] Hamilton’s initiative to make the much needed improvements to working conditions at police and fire facilities,” Post said.

Post added, “I’ve worked at the 3rd Street police station now for over 20 years, and I can tell you that everyone would welcome a new and upgraded modern facility.”

However, about the administration’s exact proposal, Post had reached a different conclusion: “We can’t support this specific plan and its associated financial costs.” Continue reading “Police union speaks against specific plan for location of new police facilities in city hall building” →

Bloomington area budget prep: Income tax revenues for 2023 projected up 13%, property tax levy up 5%

Indiana’s state budget agency has released its estimated county-by-county local income tax (LIT) distributions for 2023, which are numbers local governmental units will use for 2023 budget planning.

For the certified shares category, Monroe County (across all government units) is projected to see about a 13-percent increase—from $34,232,607 in 2022 to $38,815,238 in 2023.

That news comes shortly after the maximum levy growth quotient for property tax revenue was announced for the 2023 budget year: 5 percent.  That’s the biggest percentage increase since at least as far back as 2003. Continue reading “Bloomington area budget prep: Income tax revenues for 2023 projected up 13%, property tax levy up 5%” →

BT Roundup: mid-June for Uber/Lyft night runs, new bus routes in August, strategic plan contract OK’d, 8 new electric buses requested, still 14 drivers short

An all-electric bus bus already in BT’s fleet.
From left: BT general manager John Connell, BT bus rider Scott Ferrell. (May 17, 2022)
Monthly ridership stats.

Bloomington Transit (BT) is confronting several short-term challenges even as it looks ahead to a future flush with new revenue.

The new revenue will come from the city of Bloomington’s planned allocation to BT using some of extra money from the local income tax increase that was enacted by the city council two weeks ago.

The range of short- and long-term issues was evident at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting of the BT board.
Continue reading “BT Roundup: mid-June for Uber/Lyft night runs, new bus routes in August, strategic plan contract OK’d, 8 new electric buses requested, still 14 drivers short” →

Analysis: Does a local law need to change so a Bloomington public bus can run outside the city?

Map showing bus routes going outside of Bloomington city limits
Excerpt of map showing configuration of routes recommended by Bloomington Transit consultant in 2019.

If Bloomington Transit wanted to run buses outside of Bloomington’s city limits, what, if any, legal requirements would have to be met?

Specifically, what legal requirements would have to be met, in order for Bloomington Transit to serve educational and employment centers like Ivy Tech or Cook Medical—which are outside the city limits on the western edge of town?

In the last few years, the standard answer has been: An amendment to a local law  would have to be enacted by the city council.

But a closer look at the local law, and a state statute, suggests that a change to the local law might not be needed.

Instead, the city council would just have to approve any proposed bus service outside the city’s boundaries.

A request from BT to run buses to specific locations outside city limits could presumably be placed on the city council’s agenda by BT—just like approval of its annual budget and tax rate is placed on the city council’s agenda. BT could not force the city council to grant approval.

But that stands in contrast to an ordinance that would change city code. BT does not have the right to place a proposed change to city code on the city council’s agenda, much less force the council to enact it.

Why is this legal issue about the geography of BT’s service area somewhat pressing? Continue reading “Analysis: Does a local law need to change so a Bloomington public bus can run outside the city?” →

Local income tax increase: Decision delayed by Bloomington city council to May 4

On Wednesday night, Bloomington’s city council voted 8–0 to postpone consideration of a countywide local income tax increase until its next regular meeting, which is scheduled for May 4.

The vote to postpone came a few minutes after 9 p.m. That made for a meeting that lasted about two and a half hours. Councilmembers asked questions of the mayor and staff, heard another round of public commentary, and discussed the proposal among themselves.

It’s the city council’s second postponement of the LIT rate increase in as many weeks. The likely delay in the vote this week was announced by council president Susan Sandberg at the start of Wednesday’s meeting. Continue reading “Local income tax increase: Decision delayed by Bloomington city council to May 4” →