By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – With key budget decisions looming, a trio of Bloomington aldermen sought public feedback on where to cut spending.

City government faces a three million dollar budget shortfall as revenues are flat or declining at the same time that expenses are on the rise.

At a town hall meeting Tuesday night, Alderman David Sage said political courage is needed to make tough spending choices.

About 30 people attended the session at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. Some of the suggestions included privatizing garbage pick-up and reducing bulky waste pick-up to a couple of times a year.

Constituents also sounded off on money spent hiring consultants and fixing brick streets. A resident suggested selling some city-owned property.

Sage and Alderman Karen Schmidt expressed displeasure Mayor Tari Renner is scheduling a special council meeting for next Tuesday to discuss a proposal to build a new public library and a Connect Transit transfer center at the current Market Street garage site.

Five of the nine council members voted to cancel the session, and Schmidt said the community’s consensus is for the library to stay on Olive Street.

“Over and over and over again, we have said as a community that we want the library where it is, and if it expands, it should expand where it is,” said Alderman Schmidt.

“I’d rather see the mayor offering some political leadership to help move the council foward on what are going to be some very tough political decisions about spending, that us working on efforts that do not have majority council support,” said Alderman Sage.

Alderman Scott Black said he isn’t sure moving the library to Market Street is the best idea, but he’s in favor of further discussion.

Schmidt, Sage, and Black, representing west side wards, hosted Tuesday night’s town hall meeting.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]