Mayor Formally Introduces 2022 Budget Ordinances with Adjustments to Increase Police Funding and Conduct Earlier Police Contract Negotiations; and Add Pilot Programs for City Employee Parking Cash Out and 24-Hour Public Restrooms

Bloomington, Ind. - Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton will formally introduce the 2022 budget resolutions for City Council review on Wednesday evening, September 29. The 2022 City budget requests $107 million for the civil city and $179 million in overall expenditures, and represents the third phase of the administration’s plan to Recover Forward from the pandemic and the associated economic recession. Hamilton’s budget proposal is built on advancing sustainability and equity, to address the climate emergency and long-term racial injustice.

Beyond usual sources, the 2022 budget revenues include federal support of $1 million in Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds and $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as well as $5 million in ARPA funds for Bloomington Transit.

The proposed budget has been developed with extensive input beginning in April from all nine council members, as well as from local organizations, City department heads and staff, and members of the public, including data collected in the 2021 community survey.  Since outlining the 2022 budget in late August, the administration has incorporated several adjustments relating to the Bloomington Police Department (BPD).

The August presentations outlined new funding for 16 positions in public safety, including 13 in the BPD. In order to respond to continued challenges in recruiting and retaining officers, and to maintain the BPD’s excellent record of protecting the community, to increase diversity, and to continue investing in innovative practices for public safety, the administration today will propose the following additional changes:

• $400,000 of one-time federal ARPA funds for additional investment in BPD recruitment and retention, including increased compensation, benefits, talent recruitment services, or other programs identified as effective. (This increases the original proposal of $250,000 to $650,000)  

• All sworn police officers from the rank of Sergeant and below will receive special retention pay of $5,000 paid over the next five calendar quarters beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021.  

• Contract negotiations with the police union (Fraternal Order of Police) for the next contract including base pay and other conditions are scheduled to begin in October 2021 rather than early 2022 (to be effective January 2023) . 

• Pay of the BPD’s top seven positions below Chief are to be increased, based on a past salary survey and recent internal analysis. This adjustment is being made effective January 1, 2021. 

As previously announced, all BPD employees will receive either the 2022 cost of living allowance increase of 2.9% as determined by their union-negotiated contract, or of 2.75% as prescribed  by salary ordinance for nonunion employees. Additionally, the 2022 budget funds five more sworn officer positions (for a department total of 105) and five new non-sworn positions in the BPD, as well as two new public safety positions in the Bloomington Fire Department focused on emergency health responses, and three more 911 dispatch positions. 

“We are dedicated to continuing to retain and recruit officers of the highest quality to our nationally accredited Bloomington Police Department,” said Mayor Hamilton. “These one-time ARPA funds thankfully offer us a special opportunity to do so.”

Hamilton also announced two new pilot programs to be included, based on feedback from council members since the August budget presentations. One program will pilot a downtown city employee parking cash-out program to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles for commuting. A second pilot program will expand public access to new restrooms in parking garages to a full 24/7 cycle, as recommended in the Safe and Civil City Task Force report of 2017.