Bloomington committee uses 4% placeholder as 2026 budget process begins

The Village of Bloomington Finance & Purchase Committee reviewed initial 2026 budget figures on Sept. 23 and directed staff to plan using a 4% placeholder increase for most expense lines while awaiting final revenue numbers.

Clerk/Treasurer Shawna Atterbury presented the draft figures and told the committee she had entered the state shared revenue and personal property tax aid but that many other revenues were not yet available and would be postponed until next month. She said she and staff member Jay Bennett had cleaned up accounting entries and that Bennett offered to help recalculate water-meter revenue. Atterbury said staff recommended increasing expense projections by about 3–4% as a planning assumption.

Atterbury reported that the village’s Medical Associates health insurance plan was facing an 18.4% rate increase, raising the monthly premium from $2,233 to $2,633.19. Deductibles were raised — single coverage from $6,000 to $6,500 and family coverage to $13,000 — while primary-care visit copays would drop from $35 to $20.

On revenues, the committee noted mobile-home fees had outperformed the budget to date ($2,000 received versus a $500 budget), and members observed that grant and loan proceeds tied to construction would not be recurring. The committee also recorded that sewer rates had increased by 30% and that water revenues would be affected by a separate, unspecified water-rate increase; the exact revenue impact was not yet available.

The committee reviewed the police-services line, which had been $5,300 (reflecting roughly four hours per week of contracted coverage). Members agreed to raise that line to $6,000 for 2026 to reflect anticipated contracting costs.

On risk and operating costs, Jay Bennett reported fire-protection and hydrant rental costs of $68,000 for 2026. Property-insurance details remained pending as the new insurance representative had not yet provided complete figures.

The committee adjusted several departmental lines: clerk miscellaneous was set at $2,500 (to cover conferences and memberships), general office expenses reduced to $7,500, library books increased to $7,000 (from $5,200 spent year-to-date) with library miscellaneous reduced to $8,000, and the history-room budget set at $550. Parks miscellaneous was raised to $7,500 to cover ongoing maintenance and an upcoming roof project. For equipment, the committee discussed purchasing a $12,500 lawnmower with $10,000 to be financed similarly to a prior skid-steer purchase; the equipment expense line was otherwise held at $10,000 due to aging inventory.

Committee members also queried the duration and terms of Roy Quick’s snow-removal contract and asked staff to confirm whether Quick would continue at the same rate of $150 per hour per machine.

Clerk/Treasurer Atterbury outlined the budget calendar and statutory deadlines: employee wage discussions are planned for the Oct. board meeting in closed session; the proposed budget must be submitted to the newspaper by Oct. 13–14 to satisfy a 15-day public-notice requirement; a public hearing could be held at the Nov. 3 board meeting; and the board must adopt the budget by Dec. 1 so property-tax statements can be mailed by Dec. 15.

The committee took no final action to adopt the budget at the Sept. 23 meeting; members instead established placeholders and asked staff to return with updated revenue figures and additional details. The meeting adjourned after unanimous procedural votes to approve the agenda and to adjourn.