Depending on whom you ask, accountability varies for the damage sustained by Bloomington homes after radical storms that dropped nearly a foot of water across two days led to severe surface flooding and water backing up from city-owned sewer into basements.
But one point is clear: More than a month after the June 25-26 extreme weather events, nearly all of the more than 500 Bloomington residents who experienced and reported losses have yet to be compensated for them.
What’s more, after five separate public discussions over the scope of the damage and paths for future infrastructure repairs, city leadership has yet to codify a plan for financial assistance for victims of the storms.
“That is just not acceptable,” said William Mahrt, a Bloomington-based attorney who is exploring whether there’s enough ground to pursue a legal challenge against the city. “They owe these residents money and they need to pay it.”
Mahrt, a sole practitioner, said he sustained up to $20,000 worth of damages to his own home near Miller Park, on the city’s southwest side. He’s also fielded reports from other residents who said they incurred damages of $50,000.
