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Committee backs Bloomington Transit 2026 budget as capital spending drops; city and federal grants explain revenue shifts
Summary
John Connell, general manager of the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation (BT), asked the committee to recommend adoption of Appropriation Ordinance 2025-12, the BT 2026 budget.
John Connell, general manager of the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation (BT), asked the committee to recommend adoption of Appropriation Ordinance 2025-12, the BT 2026 budget.
Why it matters: the ordinance sets next year’s operating and capital plan for the city’s public transit provider and shows a substantial decline in capital spending from 2025 to 2026, which affects the proposed property tax rate and the corporation’s funding mix.
Connell presented a 2026 total budget of $19,383,402 and a proposed property-tax rate of 0.0371. He told the committee that the 2025 rate had been 0.0403 and that the 2025 budget totaled about $32 million; the reduction for 2026 stems from a roughly 72% drop in capital programming compared with 2025, Connell said.
Council members asked for detail on large line-item changes. Council member Stosberg asked why “miscellaneous revenue” (revenue code R119) showed zero in 2025 but about $6.5 million in 2026; Connell said that amount includes an economic-development local income-tax (EDLIT) transfer from the city plus the Public Mass Transportation Fund (PMTF). Connell said he would confirm with the controller why the 2025 line read zero in the packet export. Connell also said the decline in federal and state grants from about $14.7 million in 2025 to about $6.4 million in 2026 reflected a one-time federal infusion that drove the larger 2025 capital budget.
On operating revenues, Connell said a roughly $1 million increase under “charges for services, sales and fees” reflects partnership agreements, including Monroe County service partnerships.
Public comment on the transit appropriation drew no speakers.
Clerk Bolden called roll on a committee motion to recommend adoption; the committee recorded a 7–0 recommendation to the full council.
What’s next: the full council will consider the ordinance. Connell said the transit corporation is continuing site-search work for a larger transportation center and thanked the council for support.
