Bloomington Mayor-elect Kerry Thomson is asking Mayor John Hamilton to not make certain strategic decisions for the rest of his term.
(WFIU/WTIU News)
Bloomington Mayor-elect Kerry Thomson is asking Mayor John Hamilton to not make certain strategic decisions for the rest of his term.
Thomson sent a letter to Hamilton and Bloomington City Council members Wednesday asking him to “refrain from making any strategic or discretionary decisions which will impact beyond Dec. 31, 2023.”
Thomson takes office on Jan. 1, 2024.
The letter continues, “Such decisions would include, but not be limited to, signing new or extensions of contracts, purchasing or conveying property, and making future board and commission appointments.”
WFIU/WTIU News requested an interview with Thomson, but she was unavailable.
“This is a fairly typical request during transitions,” Thomson wrote. “While we have been in conversation with the mayor’s team, I felt it was important to express my request in a letter I could share with (the) Council. There are significant tax dollars at stake and the community deserves to have the future administration and council at the table.”
In a letter Hamilton wrote in response to Thomson’s, he said he was surprised by her request.
“It was particularly surprising to see the specific request that I ‘refrain from making any strategic or discretionary decisions which will impact beyond Dec. 31, 2023,’” Hamilton wrote. “That is neither appropriate nor possible. I make decisions daily that affect the future of the city for the coming days, weeks, months and years. It is my responsibility as Mayor to do so, and I will continue to do so.”
Hamilton declined an interview request for this story.
Council members discussed both letters at their latest meeting, which came just hours after Thomson sent her letter.
Susan Sandberg, who is leaving the Council after this year, read Thomson’s letter aloud at the meeting.
“The reason why I found this letter important and informative — and I think it’s important for the public to be aware of some of these tensions regarding any kind of transition — is because I, myself, as a member of this fiscal body have had questions about various feasibility issues and fiscal issues pertaining to some of the matters that seem to be fast-tracked on our agenda before year’s end,” Sandberg said.
Susan Sandberg at a Wednesday City Council meeting (Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News)
“I think it’s irresponsible to sell the current Third Street headquarters out from under us until we have all our questions answered and get better clarification on the fiscal status of Showers West,” Sandberg said.
Council member Matt Flaherty, who will return to the Council next year, disagreed with Sandberg's comments on Thomson's letter.
“I’m going to respectfully disagree that we shouldn’t do our jobs,” Flaherty said. “The Mayor, as well as Council should serve and make decisions large and small as we deem necessary to effectuate our duties that we were sworn into office to uphold.”
Matt Flaherty (Provided, City of Bloomington)
Thomson did not say whether her letter was also in reference to the sale of the police headquarters.
The Council narrowly approved the $8.75 million purchase of Showers West in January. Sandberg, other council members and representatives of the local police union expressed concerns about the project before and after the vote.
Sandberg sent questions about the project to the mayor’s office in August and said she would call for a moratorium if she did not receive answers.
Council members later met with the mayor’s office and project architect at an early September work session. Deputy Mayor Larry Allen said at that meeting the City hopes to start construction in 2024.
The City is currently collecting bids for both Showers West and the Third Street building. Bids are due on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, respectively, according to Allen.
The Council must vote whether to approve the sale of the Third Street station, which will come after a recommendation from the Board of Public Works.
In the meantime, the police department must be able to stay in that building until the new headquarters at Showers West is completed.
Council members are scheduled to meet for another work session on the project on Dec. 4. Sandberg said she plans to ask more questions at that meeting.
“I would like to put a moratorium on it,” Sandberg said. “I think it's a rushed decision from a lot of angles, and I think Council has a responsibility to stop, ask these questions (and) see if we can get straighter answers and put it on record for the public.”
Hamilton was preceded as mayor by Mark Kruzan, who served from 2004 to 2016. Kruzan supported Thomson’s decision to send the letter.
“It's pretty surprising to me that this is an issue at all, because the long-standing tradition of city administrations is to not enter into agreements or make appointments to jobs, or boards and commissions and the waning hours of your term,” Kruzan said. “It's common tradition, and it's common courtesy.”
Mark Kruzan (WFIU/WTIU News)
Kruzan commended Hamilton for filling staff vacancies, such as his deputy mayor, with interim replacements but criticized him for moving forward on projects such as Showers West with less than two months in office.
“He has had eight years to get these things done and now is trying to rush to complete some of them by the end of his term,” Kruzan said. “It’s more a management issue than anything. I just think it’s time for the mayor to take a victory lap, celebrate his successes, and not start a new race.”
Before Kruzan, John Fernandez served as mayor from 1995 to 2004. Both said their experiences with changing administrations were smooth and added there was no need for a letter like the one Thomson sent to Hamilton.
“When I left office, I had supported my successor,” Fernandez said. “After quite a bit of work on what’s now the B-Line and Switchyard, when I had a contract sitting on my desk that I could sign to start construction … I called up Mark and said, ‘Hey, Mark, I could sign this, but I’d rather just leave it for you, because you’re going to be the one that has to execute it.”
John Fernandez (Provided, City of Bloomington)
Fernandez said each mayor and City Council member has a duty to work through the end of their terms but there’s a difference between operational activity and major projects such as Showers.
“Particularly, with the case of Showers, it’s been pretty much radio silence since January when the City Council approved the appropriation to buy the building, and there hasn’t been a whole lot of public input or public information about where we’re at,” Fernandez said. “This seems a little bit different. At least that’s my interpretation of this from what council members are saying and what Mayor-elect Thomson is feeling. It’s, ‘Let’s have some transparency and input on this.’”
