Are Bloomington’s city finances really in the black? That’s what the preliminary numbers appear to indicate.
In fact, City Manager Tim Gleason even predicted a surplus of $500,000 in the upcoming FY2020 budget of the city’s spending plan presentation for next year to the council Tuesday evening.
He says there’s also is a $300,000 savings from combining the public works and water departments.
The current proposed capital expenditures from the general fund include (subject to change):
- $5 million for streets, sidewalks and alleys, to be funded with the 4-cent local motor fuel tax and 0.25 percent home rule sales tax and $400,000 from funds available in the capital improvement fund.
- $775,000 for needed repairs at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, to be paid from more than $1 million that has been privately raised for those expenses.
- $1 million for various fire, facilities, parks and public works improvements, to be paid with the general fund surplus and additional funds available from the capital improvement fund.
