City of Bloomington, Indiana VIDEO UPDATES with Mayor Hamilton, 30 Sep 2022

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From YouTube: VIDEO UPDATE: BUDGET UPDATE

Description

Tune in as Mayor John Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Don Griffin discuss the proposed 2023 city budget and provide updates since the August budget hearings. The transformative $229 million combined city budget for 2023 focuses on key investments in the city workforce and services, climate change preparedness and mitigation, housing, and public safety to improve the quality of life for all residents. Learn more about the 2023 City Budget at bloomington.in.gov/budget.

New Emergency Reproductive Health Care Grant Program–
Indiana’s new abortion law SB1 went into effect on September 15. On the same day, Mayor Hamilton called on Bloomington City Council to join in dedicating funds for grants to meet this emergency within our community. The Administration has since proposed to City Council that the City create a $100,000 Emergency Reproductive Health Care Grant Program, to be administered by CFRD to assist organizations helping to meet needs associated with pregnancy and reproductive health. This program will be available in 2022 and is also included in the 2023 proposed budget. Learn more at https://bton.in/yWd9x.

A

A

Hamilton and I'm Don Griffin Deputy Mayor and today we're going to talk about our budget. 229 million dollars, transformative correct so.

B

uh Don the 229 million dollar proposed 2023 budget is indeed transformative. I mean this. This is I talk about it really leading us to a new era for Bloomington. This is a major increase, mostly supported by the economic development, local income tax that the county, the city council passed last spring unanimously, and that's letting us invest in really three big ways. This is transforming it's number one. It's helping us become an employer of choice from Public Safety through all all-out city government.

B

It's helping us improve the lives and the careers of all of our employees, from police officers to sanitation workers, Parks direct to everybody and investing in what we need to do to keep the services going. So that's number one employer of charge number two: it's a it's a transformative investment in climate, climate change, climate, Justice adaptation in two big ways: number one unprecedented investments in the Bloomington Transit System.

B

We are we're already the best transit system in the state by a lot of measures, but this has taken us to the next level and second, first time ever we're investing annually. In our climate action plan, we have a new climate action plan and we're dedicating 1.6 million dollars a year to put that into place. Okay, those are two.

B

The last one is really leaning into being an inclusive, diverse City that welcomes everybody where everybody can Thrive, and that means first time ever million dollars a year, investing in affordable housing, investing in good jobs, training for people and helping local food and local arts, and all that will help build equity. Here.

A

So we're going to be the Bloomington that we want to be we're at least.

B

Headed that way, this budget does invest, I think where we want to be where our values are, and it's really exciting and I hope people can check it out and we're still we're not through the whole thing. But that's what the proposed budget does.

A

So, a couple of weeks ago we we came to the council, uh gave initial presentation. Let's tell the public what what's been going on since then.

B

Right late August, we had four nights: 20 plus hours of testimony and presentations by all of our cabinet. You and me both too yes and uh in front of nine council members. Since then, we've answered I believe 113 questions from Council, with thousands of words, responses explaining, we've been doing meetings and- and that was all kind of preliminary, because the formal budget starts September, 28th, Wednesday, September, 28th and then October 12th. We hope it'll be finally adopted. So lots of dialogue, lots of questions.

B

um But if anybody wants more detail, they can check out all kinds of information we have online. But that's that's the process now.

A

Okay, one thing- that's very very important is the hundred thousand dollars that we've dedicated to emergency see reproductive Health, fine.

B

Yeah, so you know the state passed Senate bill, one, which is this terrible, horrific repeal of abortion rights.

A

B

Banning, virtually all abortions in the state for everybody in the State. uh We can't change that law, but we're trying to do what we can so we're asking the council for this year and next year, a hundred thousand dollar special appropriation to fund support for organizations that are responding to the reproductive Health Emergency places that can help people access reproductive Health, Care, maybe elsewhere if needed, but also whatever we can do locally. So that's the that's. The change. That's happened since August as we added that to the budget request and I'm I'm hopeful and confident.

B

The council will pass that too.

A

You know what's interesting about this budget. It shows Bloomington leading we're not following anyone we're leading in who we think we should be.

B

It's a great budget. I hope you all will check it out and I do think it lets our values speak and try to walk the walk that we want.

A

Fantastic, if you want to know more information, please check out our website, uh have a good one and see you soon.