Bloomington committee sets 4% placeholder for 2026 budget as health insurance premiums rise

The Village of Bloomington Finance & Purchase Committee on Sept. 23 began preliminary work on the 2026 municipal budget, agreeing to use a 4% increase as a placeholder for most expense lines and flagging a steep 18.4% rise in employee health insurance premiums that will raise the monthly premium from $2,233 to $2,633.19.

Clerk/Treasurer Shawna Atterbury presented the initial budget figures and told the committee she had entered the state shared revenue and personal property tax aid but that many revenue numbers remained unavailable and would be postponed until the next meeting. Atterbury said she and Jay Bennett had cleaned up accounting entries, and she reported Bennett had advised increasing expenses by about 3–4% across the board and offered to help calculate revenue tied to water meters.

Atterbury reported that Medical Associates health insurance rates will increase 18.4%, raising the village’s monthly premium from $2,233 to $2,633.19; single deductibles would rise to $6,500 and family deductibles to $13,000, though some costs such as primary-care visit copays would fall. The committee said the premium jump is a material pressure on the 2026 budget and used the 4% placeholder to begin expense planning.

On specific line items, committee members agreed to increase the police services line from $5,300 to $6,000 to fund roughly four hours per week of contracted coverage. Fire protection and hydrant rental costs were reported at $68,000 for 2026. The committee set clerk miscellaneous expenses at $2,500 (previous tracking about $2,300) and reduced general office expenses to $7,500.

Library funding adjustments included raising the books budget to $7,000 (the library had already spent $5,200), reducing library miscellaneous to $8,000, and setting the history room appropriation at $550; Atterbury noted confusion about reimbursement processes between history room funds and library accounts that the committee asked staff to clarify.

The committee increased parks miscellaneous to $7,500 to cover recent concrete work and an upcoming roof project. For equipment, members discussed buying a $12,500 lawnmower and financing $10,000 of the cost similar to prior equipment financing; the equipment expense line was left at $10,000 to address aging machinery. On snow removal, members agreed to check with contractor Roy Quick about whether his contract is one or two years and whether he will continue at the same rate, $150 per hour per machine.

Atterbury outlined the budget calendar: employee wage discussions will occur at the October 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; the public hearing may be held at the Nov. 3 board meeting; and the budget needs approval by Dec. 1 so property tax bills can be mailed by Dec. 15.

The committee took these preliminary steps rather than finalizing the budget; members asked staff to return next month with updated revenue figures and clarifications on insurance, garbage contracts and library reimbursements. The meeting adjourned after a procedural motion.