Councilmember Isak Asare discusses the Budget Task Force
(Courtesy, Zoom)
Questions remain unanswered regarding the nature of meetings conducted by the city of Bloomington’s new Budget Task Force.
City-council president Hopi Stosberg established the new Fiscal Committee and Budget Task Force during Wednesday night’s public meeting. Each body will work to improve the city’s budget process and meet financial goals for the year.
However, the nature of meetings became the subject of confusion for the council and staff.
Council deputy attorney Ash Kulak advised councilmember Stosberg that the Budget Task Force would have to follow the state’s Open Door Law due to being functionally like a regular committee. That means the Budget Task Force would have public meetings. Stosberg said some previous task forces did not follow the Open Door Law.
She clarified that her only concern with having public meetings was having available staff members.
The Budget Task Force is a team consisting of councilmembers Isak Asare, Sydney Zulich, Deputy Mayor Gretchen Knapp and City Controller Jessica McClellan.
The task force would document budget goals for the city, which will need to be approved by the full city council and office of the mayor. According to the council’s legislative packet, the task force is a short-term effort that will also make recommendations for the city’s budget process and formats for 2026.
The Fiscal Committee consists of councilmembers Isabel Piedmont-Smith chair, Dave Rollo, Isak Asare and Hopi Stosberg. Piedmont-Smith will serve as chair.
The committee will work with the city controller to provide residents with a more comprehensive look into the yearly budget and fund balances for different departments.
The committee will also continue the development of the salary structure for elected officials, such as city councilmembers and the mayor. The Fiscal Committee will be responsible for bringing the next salary ordinance for 2026.
Councilmember Isak Asare said opening the task force meetings could be beneficial considering the task force and committee would share similar voices regarding budget goals.
“So, you’d want those meetings to be open,” Asare said. “Any budget conversation we have should be open anyways, I just think generally.”
Stosberg opted to go ahead with creating the Fiscal Committee and Budget Task Force. She noted the task force will not meet until council staff and attorneys conclude how the meetings should be conducted in the future.
