Bloomington City Council approves amended salary increases for members, clerk and mayor

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Bloomington City Council approved an amended ordinance that will provide adjusted salary increases for council members, the clerk and the mayor starting next year during Wednesday’s regular council meeting.

In a 7-1 vote, the councilors approved an amendment, which was sponsored by council member Dave Rollo and council vice-president Andy Ruff, that will see councilors take home $25,000 while Clerk Nicole Bolden will receive $90,000 and Mayor Kerry Thompson will be compensated a total of $142,171.93.

The amendment’s fiscal impact for 2025 is estimated to be worth $45,972.92.

According to previous reports, council members initially proposed raises that would have seen their salaries more than double from $21,153 to $45,423, which represented a 115% increase. The original proposal would have also seen the clerk receive a $42,780 raise and provided Mayor Thompson with a salary of just over $150,000. Thompson’s current salary stands at $138,031.

Council Member Sydney Zulich, who serves as head of the salary committee, previously told FOX59/CBS4 that the group considered several factors when considering their original proposal. These included public service, equitable pay, quality community service, a commitment to making informed decisions and providing the public with a transparent process

The amended salaries will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2025, and will be extended to Dec. 31, 2025.

The amendment will need to receive final approval from the mayor’s office before it can be formally enacted.