The following is a press release written by Desiree DeMolina for the City of Bloomington.
The Thomson Administration has submitted the City of Bloomington’s proposed 2027 budget to the Common Council, beginning a public review process that will continue through early October. The 2027 Budget Book, raw budget data, the approved 2026 budget, and additional information are available at bloomington.in.gov/budget.
The proposal focuses on maintaining the municipal services residents rely on, protecting the City’s existing infrastructure and other public assets, and directing available resources toward housing, homelessness, public safety and economic opportunity. Its broader goal is to support a safe, well-maintained city where residents can find a place to call home, a good-paying job and a community of belonging.
The City expects Indiana’s property and income tax changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1) to reduce local government revenue over the next several years, with greater effects by 2029. The Administration responded with a conservative 2027 proposal and continues to evaluate long-term strategies to preserve essential services.
“A tight budget requires clear priorities and honest tradeoffs,” said Mayor Kerry Thomson. “We are focused on delivering the services only municipal government can provide, maintaining the public assets our community already owns and addressing the challenges that most directly affect residents.”
The proposal includes funding to replace the City’s outdated financial system with a modern platform that integrates with human resources tools. The current system no longer supports daily accounting work efficiently or produces the detailed data necessary for priorities- or outcomes-based budgeting. A replacement system would improve financial reporting, streamline work across departments and support future budget decisions.
Each year, City departments and offices estimate their expenses for the coming year. The Controller’s Office compiles those requests, projects available revenue and prepares the City’s financial documents. The Mayor reviews the requests, establishes the Administration’s recommended spending priorities and submits the resulting proposal to the Common Council.
The Common Council will review the proposal before voting on the appropriation and tax-rate ordinances. Council will then hold an official public hearing before voting on final adoption.
Budget presentations will take place over two weeks at Bloomington City Hall in Council Chambers, 401 North Morton Street:
- Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, at 5 p.m. —Opening remarks from the Office of the Mayor and the Controller, followed by Fire, Police (including Dispatch), Community and Family Resources (CFRD), and Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND)
- Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at 5 p.m. — Planning & Transportation, Engineering, Street, Parking, and Utilities
- Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. — Parks & Recreation, Economic & Sustainable Development (ESD), Public Works Administration, Animal Shelter, Facilities, Fleet, and Sanitation
- Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. — Capital Improvement Board (CIB), Clerk, Common Council, Office of the Mayor, Office of the Controller, Legal and Risk Management, Human Resources, and Information Technology Services (ITS)
All budget presentations are open to the public and will be available to watch live on CATS or through Zoom. Zoom links and meeting details will be published on the City’s public meeting calendar.
The official public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Final budget adoption is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
The proposed 2027 Budget Book, raw budget data, the approved 2026 budget and additional information are available at bloomington.in.gov/budget
