Page last updated on September 7, 2021 at 1:22 pm
Hello, this is Mayor Hamilton.
I’d like to share an important update with you about the future of our community.
Today, in partnership with our City Council, I am announcing that the city annexation process underway four years ago is scheduled to resume in the weeks ahead. As you may recall, four years ago, back in 2017, we were in the middle of a many-months-long annexation process. We were mid-stream, amid extensive public discussion and heading ultimately toward a council vote, when the State Legislature unconstitutionally ordered action halted in April of 2017.
It took years of litigation, but finally just a few months ago the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in our city’s favor that indeed the State Legislature and the Governor had illegally reached down and tried to halt a fully legitimate and appropriate local process. It is time to resume that local, public process.
Our community has annexed property hundreds of times through our history, expanding city boundaries as the community grows and develops. But we haven’t done so since 2004. I agree with City Council President Jim Sims who says: "As our population increases it is prudent that we regularly reassess Bloomington's boundaries in the interest of maintaining the health of the greater collective community at large for the long term."
The annexation process will resume from the point it was illegally interrupted early next month, with the distribution of revised and updated fiscal plans for the potential annexation areas. Our Bloomington City Council will ultimately make the decision about annexation. They will review the potential boundaries in detail, and ultimately adjust them if appropriate. Council is scheduled to review the updated fiscal plans on May 12th. After adoption of those plans, the public process will continue with re-sending formal notice to current property owners, additional public hearings to review and evaluate potential boundaries, and a City Council vote to approve and/or amend the annexation ordinances, anticipated in September. Any areas that are annexed would likely become part of the city at the beginning of the year 2024, allowing ample time for transition and planning.
Bloomington’s long-term social and economic success is critical for the success of our entire region. We are all in this together. All of us in city government look forward to continued discussions with and ideas from our county and local government colleagues, and from residents in the region, and employers and nonprofits and other institutions.
In the coming months, there will be many opportunities for that discussion and input, as the City Council ultimately will weigh and decide what if any changes to our boundaries make sense. You can learn more about and get involved in this process by going to our website--to see maps of potential annexation areas, maps showing Bloomington’s history of annexation over the years, frequently asked questions, and more. You can share your comments or views on a dedicated form there or by phone at 812-349-3808.
Thank you for your attention, and thanks for all that you do for this community we love.