Bloomington mayor John Hamilton vetoed a resolution by the city council last week approving the creation of a capital improvement board by the county to run the convention center expansion.
The mayor’s administration has argued against a CIB running the expansion, instead wanting a non-profit, 501(c)(3) to manage the project.
But after the city council joined the county commissioners and county council in supporting a CIB, the ball was in the mayor’s court. And Friday afternoon, Hamilton acted.
In his veto, Hamilton says he is open to a CIB as a long-term solution, but in the short term, what is needed is a “entity that can effectively oversee the design, financing and construction of a major downtown facility.”
Hamilton said much of the cost of the project would fall on the city and that a 501(c)(3) would be a more effective way to manage that.
“It can be more nimble and efficient in the short term. It offers better opportunities to amass and deploy sufficient financial resources to design and build a signature downtown facility,” Hamilton wrote in his veto letter to the city council, which approved the CIB resolution by an 8-1 vote.
He says a CIB would be too cumbersome to get the expansion project off the ground and would be subject to state code that has veto power over decisions made by the city and county.
The expansion project has been in the works for seven years, and Hamilton said his administration has worked “diligently” worked to advance the project.
“While we are frustrated by delays, we will continue to collaborate with all interested parties on the best path forward,” the mayor wrote.
