In her second annual State of the City address Thursday, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson said the word “listen,” or some variation of it, 11 times. She used “transparency” or “transparent” six times. She described being “accountable” or “accountability” seven times.
And the back of the program passed out to attendees at the John Waldron Arts Center read, “Co-create with us.”
The idea of community engagement was a key theme in Thomson’s speech, during which she touched on housing, public works development and more.
Thomson began her address by thanking emergency responders following severe weather that impacted Bloomington and much of the state Wednesday night. She also condemned vandalism of The Kiln and The Forge, buildings in the trades district, she said happened Wednesday night, as well.
“Every dollar our businesses have to spend repairing unnecessary and reckless destruction is a dollar they can’t put toward helping our community thrive,” Thomson said.
Thomson said a transparent government is a trustworthy one, so she’s made it a priority to hear from Bloomington residents face-to-face. The city also launched a climate action dashboard, where residents can track local sustainability efforts. She lauded development of several long-term economic development projects and the historic success of IU football’s impact on the city last season. That winning season drew sold out crowds and national media broadcasts in Bloomington, like ESPN’s College GameDay.
“We can’t control the scoreboard, but we can make sure Bloomington is ready when the spotlight shines on us,” Thomson said.
Sharr Pechac, the city human resources director, then spoke about improvements for city staff. She said since Thomson took office, the city updated hundreds of job descriptions, reformed an outdated salary grade, replaced a decade-old employee manual with a new handbook and helped better staff the fire and police departments.
The Bloomington Fire Department will be fully staffed in September, Pechac said. After announcing higher salaries and offering take-home patrol vehicles, BPD saw its largest applicant pool in years. Now, there are 11 applicants who, if hired, would make the largest on-boarding class in 20 years, she said.
Thomson said two of the challenges still facing the city are housing and homelessness. She said she convened local housing experts and service providers in 2024 to create a housing action plan. Groups involved include Heading Home of South Central Indiana, Middle Way House and Wheeler Mission. While not a city plan, she said it has her full support, and city funding will only go to organizations on board with it.
Thomson also said the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department “was in crisis” when she took office, receiving four federal audits in a year. Now, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has closed all its reviews of the HAND department, she said. The HUD department conducts audits to ensure the entities receiving its grants, like Bloomington, are meeting the requirements for the funding.
The city is also reviewing the housing permitting process and amending the Unified Development Ordinance, which governs land use and development, Thomson said. She said she continues to expand opportunities for public input in decision-making. One of the ways she’s tried to do this is by hosting traveling town halls and office hours throughout the city. She stressed her commitment to public engagement regardless of “what’s happening in other branches of government.”
“We know the best ideas emerge when we work together, when we improve one another’s thinking through open, inclusive dialogue,” Thomson said. “That’s hard to do when public input is limited to a few minutes on a proposal that’s already been developed with no current public input.”
Her comment comes amid a “difference of opinion” between her and councilmember Matt Flaherty on two resolutions the council failed to introduce that would’ve started the process to amend the UDO for housing. She told the Indiana Daily Student attempting to move the changes forward without dedicated public input wasn’t the ideal process for the city.
Going forward, Thomson said, the city will look at improving public access to information, including by reviewing how it responds to records requests and overhauling the entire city website.
She also emphasized the need to invest in road improvements, which she said were “neglected” for too long, and the Monroe Water Treatment Plant.
“We’re seeing the effects of growing without long-term maintenance planning,” Thomson said.
Jane Kupersmith, director of economic and sustainable development, then spoke about growth of the Bloomington Trades District, including the completion of The Forge and the $16 million Lilly Endowment grant in November. She also praised the development ofn the Monroe Convention Center expansion, the construction of Hopewell Commons and the city’s sustainability efforts.
Thomson concluded her speech by again emphasizing the role she wants people to play in the city.
“A city is strongest when its people are seen, heard and empowered,” she said, “and that’s not idealism, it’s leadership.”
What else has happened since the first State of the City?
Since her last State of the City address, Thomson has occasionally clashed with the city council. She vetoed the council’s April resolution calling for more aid and a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War, which the council overrode. She similarly vetoed a resolution opposing the LEAP water pipeline, which the council also overrode. She told the council in March last year she would not sign any resolutions addressing issues outside of city business.
Some councilmembers said in September that Thomson’s 2025 budget proposal did not include the council’s priorities, including specific funding for transportation improvements and safe streets projects. They were able to compromise on the budget, with it passing unanimously in October.
She also condemned the council for not considering one of her appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission during one of its meetings in October. That appointee, Alyson Baer, ultimately withdrew from consideration.
During Thomson's tenure, the city has cleared multiple homeless encampments in the city. She recommended in January a new location for BPD headquarters on South Rogers Street after a proposed site at Showers West got pushback from the police union and fell through.
She has pushed forward with the city’s efforts to annex adjacent land, which predates her administration, after hitting several legal hurdles in the past year. The city is now asking the Indiana Supreme Court to take up the case.
