In a recent decision by the Bloomington City Council, elected officials will see a salary increase in the coming year. After a lengthy debate and a community backlash over substantial pay raises, the council elected to take a more conservative approach to increasing their own salaries and that of other city officials.
According to the original proposal for Ordinance 2024-26 reported by WRTV, city elected officials were set to receive a significant increase, with the Mayor’s salary jumping from $138,031 to $151,410, the Clerk’s rising from $87,000 to $129,780, and the council members from $21,153 to $45,423. However, this proposal faced significant resistance from Bloomington residents, with some claiming the raises were "inappropriate" and an "abuse of power."
The final vote, which resulted in more modest increases, was conducted on Wednesday culminating in council members receiving $25,000, the Clerk being allocated $90,000, and the Mayor's salary set at $142,171.93, starting January 1, 2025. This was revealed by FOX59 with the latter noting that the ordinance received an 8–1 vote in favor.
Key to the scaled-back raises was resisting the temptation to follow a committee's earlier recommendations, which had been released prior to Thanksgiving. Sydney Zulich, Matt Flaherty, Kate Rosenbarger, and Hopi Stosberg made up the four-person committee suggesting higher salaries. The fiscal impact for the 2025 salaries proposed in this amendment is estimated to be $45,972.92, as reported by WRTV.
During the deliberation, two competing amendments surfaced, with Dave Rollo proposing one and Flaherty and Rosenbarger the other. The adopted amendment by Rollo appeared more palatable, with Bloomington mayor Kerry Thompson indicating through Deputy Mayor Gretchen Knapp, as reported by the B Square Bulletin, that she would sign off on the ordinance if amended with Rollo's proposal.
Rollo's amendment, which set the pay for councilmembers more in line with those of the nearby cities like Carmel and Fishers, won favor by indicating minimal fiscal impact and avoiding a feared mayoral veto. On the other hand, the mayor had not had the opportunity to review Flaherty and Rosenbarger's proposal before it went to vote, leading to some uncertainty about its potential enactment. "I found no trouble reaching the mayor’s office," Rollo was quoted in the B Square Bulletin, suggesting a level of accessibility and communication that may have given Rollo's amendment a strategic advantage.
