BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington City Council could vote on a proposal next week that could more than double their own salaries.
The proposal for ordinance 2024-26 would raise Mayor Kerry Thomson’s salary by 10% to $151,410. The City Clerk would see a nearly 50% raise of $129,780 and Council Members, who work on average 20 hours a week or less, would make $45,423. A nearly 115% increase from their current rate.
Bloomington residents like Gail Lawrence are concerned about the change, calling it an abuse of power.
“It's not meant to be a full-time job and if you look at the average median income for Bloomington, it's $43,000. For 16 hours, I just don't see how they justify it,” Lawrence said.
Although city councilor Isak Asare would benefit from the raise, he is voting against it.
“The average household income in Bloomington is around the amount that we're proposing council members get paid for a part-time job. That's just ludicrous to me,” Asare said. “It's just not an argument that's palpable to me. We are here to serve the people of Bloomington, and that needs to be at the forefront of our minds.”
First-term Mayor Kerry Thomson agreed with Asare, saying the raises are inappropriate given the current needs of the community.
“I have not heard from a single member of the public that they're supportive of these numbers. Many are very angry, and I think we need to listen to that,” Thomson shared. “Nobody should take a government job because they are out to get rich. We are here to serve.”
The council will hear the proposal on Wednesday night. A representative from the council told WRTV they hope to have a public meeting to discuss the proposal next week before making a final vote.
