The McLean County Board on Thursday voted down a proposal to recreate a long-removed Civil War monument in Bloomington.
The Franklin Square Soldiers Monument was originally dedicated in 1869, commemorating the service of about 700 McLean County citizens who died fighting for the Union. The stone pillar was removed in 1914 over concerns for its structural integrity, though a portion of its base now resides elsewhere in Bloomington.
Commenters at the the board's monthly meeting opposed the proposal’s intent to use a property tax levy to fund the installation.
Anna Ziegler of the McLean County Farm Bureau said the proposal would worsen already rising property tax burdens.
“The increased property valuations for taxpayers, including farmland owners, are driving significant increases in property tax costs,” Ziegler said. “Even without any rate increases from any of the taxing bodies.”
Board vice chair Elizabeth Johnston said the proposal didn’t comply properly with the city’s use of the area, and was dismissed for this reason rather than the merits of honoring soldiers.
Moreover, Johnston pointed out that around the time the original monument was torn down, an additional site in Miller Park was added for that purpose.
Nursing shortage
Also Thursday, the board made a reclassification to address a shortage of nurses.
The issue has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as the county’s lower pay compared to other areas. The board’s unanimous vote moved the salary range up by about $2 per hour. Johnston said this is comparable to other counties, and will hopefully make the jobs more attractive.
“The reclassification is about increasing the salary range we can offer,” Johnston said. “With the intention that we’ll be able to recruit more. They’ve been working hard at recruiting, but when you don’t pay at equal rates [to other counties] it’s really hard to get people to agree to come.”
A memo from Jessica McKnight, McLean County Health Department administrator, says the department has five nurse vacancies the agency has not been able to fill. Last year, two public health nurses resigned after less than six months on the job due to low pay, according to the memo.
Rivian expansion
In another matter, the board approved zoning modifications that allow for planned expansion at Rivian’s plant in Normal.
The plan expands the footprint of the plant by about 208,000 square feet, while the new building would be 1.14 million square feet. The plan also includes about 2,500 new parking spaces for employees, in accordance with hiring bumps — expected to be about 600-700 jobs — the company expects to make over the next few years.
The expansion of one building and construction of another represents about $200 million in investment from the company.
