Bloomington mayor takes leave of absence for medical reasons

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - The mayor of the central Illinois city of Bloomington says he's taking a temporary leave of absence for medical-related reasons.

Mayor Tari Renner said Monday that he made the decision after consulting with his physician and family. He didn't disclose the nature of his medical condition.

Alderman Karen Schmidt will serve as mayor pro tem. She says she expects Renner to be away "a few weeks at the most."

Renner was elected this year to a second term of four years. The leave comes as Renner has been the subject of an Illinois State Police investigation about airfare purchases. This month aldermen denied Renner's proposal for a mayoral aide after Renner claimed he had too much work for a part-time mayor.

The city council censured Renner two years ago for comments he made to a blogger.