Celebrating a Milestone to Improve Monroe County
The 2025 Budget passed last night, and it is a celebratory occasion for Monroe County residents as a significant milestone in our collective journey forward. I was honored to support the 2025 annual budget of $122,548,505 - a budget that reflects an unwavering commitment to building a stronger, more resilient community for all Monroe County residents.
The 2025 budget makes strategic investments to enhance the County government’s internal operations and external services. Those investments span the four (4) key divisions of County government:
We embraced priority-based planning to ensure every dollar serves our community's most pressing needs. This includes meaningful cost-of-living adjustments for our dedicated county employees, expanding employee services to retain our talented workforce, and establishing our first full-time Climate Crisis position to combat the increasing challenges of extreme weather. Fiscal responsibility remains at the core of our decision-making, with a strengthened Rainy Day fund and clear fund balance targets to maintain essential services. We're also proud to continue our Rural Transit program, and a new path forward with Bloomington Transit. All of this fiscal policy is implementable, thanks to the strong collaboration between department heads and the Council.
While there is still work ahead, this budget represents our values, priorities, and vision for Monroe County's future. Through careful planning and strategic investments, we build on the foundation for a community where everyone can thrive. As we implement this budget, we remain committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and significantly, to serving the diverse needs of our community. Together, we will continue to make Monroe County a place we're all proud to call home.
