Thomson releases 5-point housing plan

Backed by more than 30 years of experience building homes for families, today Democratic candidate for Mayor Kerry Thomson outlined a 5-point housing plan to make living in Bloomington more affordable and accessible.

“Our neighbors are hurting because they can’t afford to live where they work,” Thomson said. “Housing is too scarce and too expensive, and the status quo simply isn’t working.”

Thomson served 20 years as the CEO for Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and 30 years total with Habitat. “It’s time to stop seeking cookie cutter ideas from other communities. We need new ideas, new leadership and a new community-centered approach that protects our quality of life while responsibly growing the stock of attainable housing in Bloomington.”

While at Habitat for Humanity, Thomson took charge of an organization in debt and developed a six-million-dollar mortgage portfolio with hundreds of thousands in philanthropic pledges annually. To date, the organization has built more than 220 homes and three neighborhoods.

“We can’t stick our heads in the sand and just let development happen. We can use the power of City Hall and the voices of our citizens to shape Bloomington’s future, to make smart decisions, and to add real value to our community,” added Thomson. “I believe that the decisions we make over the next four years will determine how Bloomington looks over the next forty. That’s why I am running for Mayor – to ensure we take a balanced approach that includes the input of every stakeholder.”

Thomson’s 5-point plan calls for:

• Implementing the Bloomington Housing Study. In her first 90 days as Mayor, Thomson will begin to implement recommendations from Bloomington’s 2020 Housing Study. The 100-plus page report is a comprehensive analysis that was created from public input but has been sitting on a shelf since its creation. Thomson believes that with the right leadership, the study can serve as a guide to create more housing throughout the city over the next decade.

• Supporting Existing Neighborhoods. As Mayor, Thomson will create a neighborhood asset mapping and enhancement program that will work with neighborhoods to initiate a resident-driven vision for the area. The program’s goal will be to lift and accentuate existing assets, explore public arts, placemaking, and gathering spaces, and develop an understanding of how each neighborhood might welcome new and diverse residents.

• Auditing Bloomington’s Housing Ecosystem. Thomson will appoint a citizen task force to review all aspects of the city’s housing ecosystem, including permitting and approval processes, tax abatements, ways to increase transparency and public input surrounding housing projects, apartment inspections, tenant rights, and fines for irresponsible landlords. The goal of this task force will be to increase efficiency while developing safeguards for the community, renters, and residents.

• Increasing Partnerships to Create Housing. Rather than going it alone or demonizing other parts of government, a Thomson Administration will work to renew partnerships to create more housing options. As Mayor, Thomson will work hand-in-hand with state and county government, Indiana University and public and private organizations to retain, restore and build attainable housing stock so more of Bloomington’s workforce can afford to live here and unhoused residents can find appropriate shelter.

• Leverage Existing Assets to House Residents. Ensuring the city is maximizing its resources to attract the housing that is needed throughout the city will also be a priority for Thomson. Her administration will examine the current use of federal dollars to provide infrastructure and other partnership incentives to create new and retain existing affordable housing. This includes reviewing existing and proposed first-floor commercial properties for potential housing or desirable amenity retrofits, including childcare and food sources that are needed proximate to residential areas.

“Bloomington is like no place else, and I am committed to working with our community to find common ground, form new and innovative partnerships, and make this city we are all so lucky to call home more affordable to live in and enjoy,” added Thomson. “We can and will do that, together.”

Listen to Kerry’s interview on WFHB’s Big Talk

Big Talk hosts Michael Glab and Alex Ashkin chat with Kerry about her life and mayoral campaign.

Listen to the interview

Vi Simpson named campaign co-chair

Former State Senator Endorses Thomson for Mayor

Today Kerry Thomson welcomed the support of former State Senate Democratic Leader and longtime public servant Vi Simpson to the campaign as its co-chair.

Simpson joins former Monroe County Commissioner Charlotte Zietlow as the Kerry for Bloomington Committee Co-Chair.

“I’m honored to have Vi’s support in this campaign and her steady hand helping to guide this effort,” said Thomson. “I can think of no one who exemplifies leadership, service, and doing the hard work necessary to make progress more than Senator Simpson.”

A former Monroe County Auditor, Simpson served 28 years representing Bloomington in the Indiana State Senate. She was the first woman elected to lead a legislative caucus in the state’s history, the first woman to chair the state budget committee, the second woman to run for Indiana governor and she was the Indiana Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in 2012.

“Kerry Thomson is a breath of fresh air. While she’s never run for office before, her 20 years of executive experience, deep connections across the community, and leadership skills are just what Bloomington needs right now in our next Mayor,” said Simpson. “Kerry cares about the right issues, she listens and she knows how to bring people together to make things happen. I’m excited to endorse Kerry Thomson for Mayor and look forward to doing everything I can to help her get elected.”

As campaign co-chair Simpson, along with Zietlow, will help to lead the campaign, acting as an advisor to the campaign on all matters and serving as a public ambassador for Thomson throughout the community.

Thomson releases plan for open, transparent city government

Thomson calls for a culture of openness

With a commitment to inclusion and transparency, today Democratic candidate for Mayor Kerry Thomson outlined her plan to make city government more transparent, accessible and efficient.

“As I have done throughout my career, I want to build a culture of openness throughout my administration. I want every citizen to be welcomed to the table, to be heard, and to know with certainty that their point of view is heard and valued,” said Thomson, a longtime community leader. “And that starts with making city government as accessible as possible.”

Within the first 100 days of a Thomson administration, she would institute the following changes:

• Public Information Audit. As Mayor, Thomson will appoint a citizen advisory committee to review and make recommendations on the city’s public information practices including how it advertises the release of reports and other documents, its use of technology, the accessibility to documents and services, and ways to reduce red tape to ensure local businesses, especially minority, women, and veteran-owned can compete for city contracts more easily. This group will also be asked to propose metrics for the city to meet when it comes to the disclosure of public information.

• Traveling City Hall. Thomson will hold office hours and “Mayor’s Night Out” throughout the community at least once a month so citizens can talk directly to her. She will also direct city departments to hold office hours throughout the community each month, so residents can access services in their own neighborhoods

• Quicker Public Information Request Turnarounds. Thomson, as mayor, will sign an executive order mandating that all city departments respond to public information requests within 48 hours and fulfill the request within 5 business days.

“From working towards a paperless government to ensuring all information is available in multiple languages, to finding new and innovative ways to engage citizens and resolve problems, I strongly believe that to get the best out of our government, we need more people at the table,” added Thomson. “These are just initial proposals, as there is much more we can do to make Bloomington a welcoming and inclusive place where everyone has a seat at the table. I look forward to continuing to hear ideas about this topic and others as I campaign throughout the community.”

This is the second in a series of announcements that Thomson is making to further outline her vision for Bloomington’s future. Earlier this month she released a statement on the need to renew partnerships with other government, educational and private sector entities to address the city’s challenges.

Op-Ed: Renewing Partnerships for Progress

Bloomington is a special place. It’s a place I first discovered on a cross-country bike ride as a college student and one I chose as my home for the last 25 years. At its core, it’s a place where people care about each other, celebrate our differences, and actively seek to grow, learn, and be better.

And it’s a place where we’ve all come to expect progress.

Yet, sadly, in recent years we’ve seen far too little progress because of a lack of real partnerships between the city and key stakeholders like county government, Indiana University, our schools, state government, and organizations and businesses throughout the community.

And while there is plenty of finger-pointing going on about who is really to blame for this, I don’t want to hear it and neither do you.

The lack of substantive collaboration or coordination around important issues like the expansion of the convention center, affordable housing, public transportation, planning for a new jail, and a host of other issues is hurting the people of Bloomington and Monroe County.

And, as Bloomington’s next mayor, I pledge to fix it.

I’m a mother of five and have worked as a nonprofit executive for two decades leading large organizations, building community, and making change. I know how to find consensus, and it’s not that hard.

It’s about listening to others. It’s about mutual respect. And it’s about not caring so much about who gets the credit.

Bloomington faces some big challenges in the months and years ahead, and our city government cannot and should not go it alone. We need to restore and rebuild these critical partnerships if we are to make progress.

Just think about, for example, the tremendous opportunities for the city and IU to work more closely on providing affordable housing in Bloomington and Monroe County, enhancing our community’s infrastructure, coordinating public safety efforts, and working together with state government to address our collective interests.

Think about how our city could grow in a similar way with a stronger partnership with Monroe County government, where information is freely shared, plans are developed together and those at the table are treated as allies, not adversaries.

And think about all the possibilities for real partnership and progress with our large employers, our school system, and civic and community organizations to address poverty, gaps in transportation, food insecurity, mental health, and caring for the unhoused.

With a fresh start and a new approach, the opportunities are endless.

I commit to you, that as mayor, I will work from day one to rebuild these relationships, re-open the lines of communication and restore trust. I will personally and regularly meet with our partners, as will key leaders in my administration, and we will build a city government that all Bloomington citizens expect and deserve.