BLOOMINGTON — The City of Bloomington Common Council will convene on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. for a Special Session, immediately followed by a Committee of the Whole meeting, to review and conduct public hearings on the city’s proposed 2027 civil budget, transit budget, and employee salary ordinances.
The meeting will take place in Council Chambers (Room 115) at City Hall, located at 401 N. Morton Street, with remote public access available via Zoom.
Proposed 2027 Budget Highlights & Revenue
According to an official council memorandum from City Controller Geoff McKim, the Civil Maximum Property Tax Levy for 2027 is set at $43,756,072—a 6% increase over the 2026 levy, matching the statewide Maximum Levy Growth Quotient (MLGQ).
The maximum property tax levy distribution includes:
- General Fund: $30,014,763
- Park & Recreation Operating: $9,900,000
- Cumulative Capital Development: $2,741,309
- Motor Vehicle Highway (MVH): $1,100,000
These property tax levies are projected to be offset by $1,334,030 in tax cap circuit breaker reductions. Additionally, Local Income Tax (LIT) estimates from the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) allocate $19,183,256 toward Economic Development, $17,239,462 in Certified Shares for the General Fund, and $4,895,117 toward Public Safety.
General Fund expenditures are currently budgeted to exceed revenues by roughly $6 million, leaving an estimated reserve of $53.5 million. Conversely, Economic Development LIT (ED-LIT) expenditures are budgeted $800,000 below projected revenues, leaving reserves at approximately $11.4 million.
Key Expenditures and Compensation Changes
The proposed fiscal plan outlines several key shifts in operational costs and employee compensation for 2027:
- Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA): Civil city employees will receive a 2.7% COLA, while police, fire, and AFSCME bargaining units are slated for a 3.0% COLA.
- Benefits & Pensions: Health and life insurance costs are projected to rise by 9%, though no cost increase will be passed to employees. State mandates have raised police and fire PERF pension contributions from 23.3% to 26.5%.
- Election Costs: A $650,000 allocation is set aside in Public Works to cover the city’s portion of the quadrennial 2027 Primary and General Elections.
- Parking & Infrastructure: The budget allocates $2.5 million in the Parking Meter fund for parking technology updates and study recommendations.
Certain major capital requests—such as a $2.5 million aerial platform truck for the Fire Department and safety infrastructure projects—are omitted from this budget package and will instead be introduced in an upcoming General Obligation (GO) bond request in October.
Meeting Agenda & Public Participation
During the Special Session, the council will introduce legislation on first reading, followed by detailed deliberations and required public hearings during the Committee of the Whole.
The full slate of proposed ordinances on the agenda includes:
- Appropriation Ordinance 2026-02: Establishing the 2027 Civil City Budget and Tax Rates.
- Appropriation Ordinance 2026-03: Establishing the 2027 Bloomington Transit Corporation Budget and Tax Rates.
- Ordinance 2026-25: Fixing 2027 salaries for Police and Fire Department officers.
- Ordinance 2026-26: Fixing 2027 salaries for non-union, appointed, and A.F.S.C.M.E. employees.
- Ordinance 2026-27: Fixing 2027 salaries for elected officials.
- Ordinance 2026-28: Fixing 2027 salaries for Bloomington City Clerk deputies and employees.
Public comments during the deliberation of the transit and civil city budgets will serve as the official, statutorily required public hearings. Following the September 23 hearings, the Common Council is scheduled to meet for formal budget adoption on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
Residents can watch the meetings live on Community Action Television Services (CATS) or the City of Bloomington’s official YouTube channel. Meeting materials and access links are available on the Bloomington Common Council website.
