BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson reflects on a year of progress and community collaboration in 2024
As the year draws to a close, I’m reflecting on the many reasons I am grateful to serve as your Mayor. Leading Bloomington is not just an honor—it’s a daily reminder of the strength, creativity, and compassion that define our community. You are what makes this work so meaningful and rewarding.
In a single year, we’ve shown what happens when collaboration sparks action, and progress finds its rhythm. Here’s a peek at some of the strides we’ve taken together.
Housing Action Plan: Through intentional partnerships with nonprofit service providers, we established best practices to support our unhoused population and created a comprehensive Housing Action Plan to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the Bloomington/Monroe County area. This initiative is a testament to what’s possible when we work together to tackle complex issues with compassion and collaboration.
Unanimous Vote on Fire and Police Contracts: For the first time in memory, these contracts passed unanimously, reflecting our commitment to community safety and partnership.
Historic Pay Increases: We implemented the first phase of salary adjustments for city employees, advancing equity and improving retention—an investment in the people who keep Bloomington running.
Downtown Cleanup Day: Over 90 volunteers gathered to beautify our downtown, including business owners, community members, and residents.
Audits Back on Track: We’ve cleared the backlog, ensuring transparency and accountability in city operations.
Public Engagement: We hosted six Traveling Town Halls and six Traveling Office Hours in every district, connecting directly with residents to hear your concerns and ideas.
Storm Response and Review: Our city’s immediate and effective response and the after-action reviews of the June 25 storm have strengthened our city’s ability to respond to future emergencies with preparedness and care.
HAND Input Sessions: We’ve laid the groundwork for a new consolidated plan involving extensive community input to shape Bloomington’s housing future.
Convention Center Expansion: We approved and are moving forward with plans to expand the Convention Center, cementing Bloomington’s role as a premier destination for events and visitors.
Core Values and Approach: Our cabinet established values that help guide our work and vision for a government that respects our taxpayer dollars while prioritizing our residents, their families, our community, and our way of life.
While plenty of work is still ahead, our vision for what’s possible energizes us for our next steps. We’ve built a strong foundation of people, processes, policies, and plans to shift from tackling challenges to creating a bold and ambitious future.
What makes these achievements possible is you—your voice, your ideas, and your engagement. As we step into the new year, let the hope and light of this season inspire us to dream bigger, dig deeper, and continue building a stronger, more inclusive community together.
Warm regards,
Kerry
