Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0Bloomington spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities
Bloomington’s city government spent $139.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2024, about $1,766 per resident. Water and other utilities ($17.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bloomington is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Bloomington’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Public Safety & Community Relations BoardWednesday · 6:00 pm · Government Center, 4th Floor, Room 404, 115 E. Washington St.Public Safety & Community Relations Board (Monthly & Quarterly) - SPECIALAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Planning CommissionThursday · 4:00 pm · Bloomington Public Library, Community Room 1, 2nd Floor, 205 E. Olive St.Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 115 E. Washington St., Government Center Boardroom, Room 400City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Liquor CommissionTuesday · 4:00 pm · Government Center Boardroom, 4th Floor, Room 400, 115 E. Washington St.Liquor Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Human Relations CommissionThursday · 4:30 pm · Bloomington Public Library, Community Room 1, 2nd Floor, 205 E. Olive St.Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Cultural CommissionThursday · 5:00 pm · Creativity Center, 107 E. Chestnut St.Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct30ProcurementFriday · 10:00 amProcurement - October 2026Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Public Safety & Community Relations BoardWednesday · 6:00 pm · Government Center Boardroom, 4th Floor, Room 400, 115 E. Washington St.Public Safety & Community Relations Board (Monthly & Quarterly) - Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Public Safety & Community Relations BoardWednesday · 3:30 pm · Government Center Boardroom, 4th Floor, Room 400, 115 E. Washington St.Public Safety & Community Relations Board - CANCELLEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Technology CommissionTuesday · 4:00 pm · Government Center Boardroom, 4th Floor, Room 400, 115 E. Washington St.Technology Commission - CANCELLEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 115 E. Washington St., Government Center Boardroom, Room 400City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,766 per resident a year, or $4.84 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,575 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them
Bloomington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,575 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,261, and the middle half spent $1,005–$1,527. Bloomington spent more than 79% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bloomington itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bloomington reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,575 · 2023: $1,728 · 2024: $1,766.
full-time in March 2025, up from 721 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Bloomington
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cityblm.org ↗
The typical homeowner pays $4,374 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.15% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bloomington’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bloomington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bloomington →
One full-time city employee for every 93 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (78,864).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
McLean County Unit School District 5
Bloomington’s K–12 school district, shared with Carlock, Hudson, Normal, Normal Township, Towanda and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,899 per pupil, $10,339 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Bloomington School District 87 · $19,416 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bloomington’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bloomington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McLean County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.9%44,495 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.1%40,290 votesOthers: 3.1% (2,684 votes).
Most votes in McLean County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Bloomington lies in McLean County. Every 2024 race in McLean County is on the county’s page.
McLean County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bloomington.
- 1Your cityMayorDan Bradyas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Illinois HouseBloomington is split between 3 districts
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bloomington compares with the towns next door
Bloomington spent $1,575 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Township | $33 | $4,686 |
| Old Town Township | $118 | $7,524 |
| Towanda Township | $119 | $6,951 |
| Bloomington Township | $144 | $6,706 |
| Dry Grove Township | $334 | $5,113 |
| Dale Township | $397 | $5,286 |
| Normal | $1,319 | $4,749 |
| Bloomington City Township | estimate | $4,374 |
| Bloomington | $1,575 | $4,374 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bloomington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bloomington’s government
How much does Bloomington spend per resident?
About $1,766 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,575 was more than 79% of 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bloomington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,374 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityblm.org.
Who is the mayor of Bloomington?
Dan Brady, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cityblm.org.
How did Bloomington vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bloomington alone. McLean County, where 100% of Bloomington lies, voted Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bloomington?
848 full-time and 510 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $6.8M (about $82.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bloomington in the state legislature?
Bloomington is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Bloomington?
The next posted meeting is Public Safety & Community Relations Board on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:00 pm in Government Center, 4th Floor, Room 404, 115 E. Washington St., from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Bloomington’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →