By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s mayor and aldermen would be forbidden to carry city government credit cards, according to a set of proposed guidelines for how taxpayer dollars are reimbursed to elected leaders conducting official business.

Mayor Tari Renner’s first city council meeting after a month’s medical leave revisits an issue that led to an Illinois State Police investigation into the purchase of airfare so his girlfriend, Margot Ehrlich could accompany him for an official visit to Bloomington-Normal’s Japanese sister city.

Renner claims he’s not worried what the investigation might find.

The mayor also said he’s fine with the idea of turning in his so-called P-card so the city can tackle what he says are the “real” issues facing the city, including fixing infrastructure and growing the economy.

Alderman David Sage circulated a petition, signed by five other council members, for the matter to be placed on the council’s agenda.

Renner said he learned of the petition Thursday, and asked that it be discussed at a work session, prior to the council’s regularly scheduled Monday night meeting. Final action may come in two weeks.

“I wanted to make sure that as soon as possible this was discussed in public, because there’s so many falsehoods and so many rumors, we need to put to rest what the current practices are for we how take care of taxpayer’s money in the city of Bloomington,” Renner explained.

The proposed ordinance does not directly address the uproar that resulted from the Japanese trip.

Renner claimed it was a city staffer’s P-card used to book Ehrlich’s $1,800 flight, and she paid it back.

Erhlich was considered a member of the city’s official delegation to Japan, and the proposed ordinance allows family members and partners to be reimbursed if they’re acting in an official capacity.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected].