By HOI ABC
BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington alderwoman is calling for a debate about reducing police funding even as elected leaders and staff approach the final stages of a multi-month budget process for the next fiscal year.
Most council members said it’s too late to make major changes to the current spending plan. City staffers said the police budget exceeds $30 million, or about 12% of the overall city budget to pay for officers’ salaries and pensions, and for costs associated with the communication center.
The request for a comprehensive discussion about the police department’s budget came from Alderwoman Jenn Carrillo, who noted almost a year has passed since George Floyd’s death while in Minneapolis Police custody.
“I’d like to ask that we as a council have a conversation about what this increase in the police budget means, what role we play in perpetuating or disrupting institutional racism, and what role we want to see ourselves playing in the police reform movement,” Carrillo said.
Alderwoman Kimberly Bray said talking about funding reductions is not timely, especially since the city will likely have to pay more for police equipment and other needs to comply with the state’s comprehensive police reform law recently signed by the governor.
“So just this idea of just cutting police due to some political agenda just really isn’t a match for what Bloomington is experiencing,” said Bray.
Alderwoman Joni Painter called for a council discussion as soon as possible, but doesn’t believe people in her ward want reduced police protection.
“In my ward, in the last couple of years, there have been six murders, and one just over the weekend,” said Painter.
“I can tell you that Black and Brown people in my ward want increased police protection. They don’t want it to go away. They don’t want to defund the police, however they do want to be treated respectfully when they do encounter police,” Painter also said.
The city council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the city budget at its March 22 council meeting. Final council action on the budget is expected April 12.
