A group of taxpayers is petitioning the Bloomington government to stop progress on Monroe County Convention Center renovation plans, according to a document included in the city council legislative packet for the Oct. 9 special session.
The group of 10 taxpayers is spearheaded by Bloomington resident Joe Davis, who is also running a write-in campaign to become an at-large county councilor in the Nov. 5 general election.
The taxpayer objection petition calls for the funds for the convention center renovations to be held in escrow under the claim that the formation of the board responsible for the renovations, the Capital Improvement Board, was “unconstitutional.” Holding the money in escrow would allow it to be frozen until the petitioners’ demands are met.
The CIB was created by former mayor John Hamilton, who appointed all seven of its members. The petition argues that this formation did not follow due process and that the board members should have been elected by the public.
Taxpayer objection petitions are valid as long as they have 10 or more signatures, according to Indiana Code. The city council is not obligated to take any action other than adopting a finding regarding the petition acknowledging it has received the complaint.
The city council will discuss the petition during the second reading of the budget appropriation Oct. 9. The petitioners will deliver a testimony outlining their objections during discussion of the budget.
Davis has objected to the expansion of the Monroe County Convention Center in the past, saying the convention center land should be used for the construction of the new county jail. The petition calls the convention center a “glorified YMCA” and says it will “bring vomit and public urination” to Bloomington.
In 2021, a group of petitioners followed the same process to object to an increased police budget in Bloomington. The council adopted a finding acknowledging receipt of the objection, but did not ultimately make any changes to the budget.
