Mayor's Corner

Brad Cole, Mayor - Biography

State of the City Address 2009

From the Mayor

With spring behind us and summer in full swing, we are now well into the fifth season of Illinois’ annual calendar… construction season.

This means we have many road construction and repair projects on-going, several infrastructure improvements being implemented and, of course, we are finally getting started on building a new Public Safety Center.

New road construction and repairs are very important for traffic safety and we do a good job of maintaining the 129 miles of roadway that exist within the City of Carbondale’s jurisdiction. But, more importantly, it is critical for drivers and others to pay attention to the workers that are out on the streets making those repairs. Please be particularly cautious as you drive through town or as you travel across the country, keeping an eye open for the workers who are focused on doing their jobs and want to go home safely each night.

I say we are “finally” getting started on a new Public Safety Center, since this project has been on the drawing board for many, many years. In 2007 we adopted financial policies that have allowed us to have the funds necessary to support the construction of a new police station, and after adequate time for advanced planning and design we are now moving forward. The Public Safety Center will be located on the site of the former Lincoln Middle School, near the intersection of East College Street and South Washington Street.

This new building will replace the existing police station, located at 610 East College Street, which was a dormitory prior to the City taking ownership of the property and converting it into City offices. The current building does not meet accessibility standards and can create problems for officers and staff in properly dealing with the public, persons under arrest, and with case management (records retention, evidence collection, and witness interaction). The new building will alleviate those functional problems.

The building has been designed to allow for potential, future growth in the department, while not over-estimating the needs of the community. Its architectural layout will be similar to City Hall and it will bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to the neighborhood that surrounds it. We anticipate a relatively quick construction schedule, which should allow the department to relocate into the new station by late March or early April 2011. It will be exciting to watch the building go up, and equally exciting to move into the new space, all with the goal of being able to better serve the people of Carbondale and to continue to provide the community with quality, professional and courteous police services.

Brad Cole, Mayor

The Mayor is the official head of the City, presides at all meetings of the City Council, and is empowered to declare civil emergencies during which time he may take any steps necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens and the community.
By virtue of his office, the Mayor serves as Chairman of the Local Liquor Control Commission, is a board member of the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group (regional drug task force), and appoints all members of City boards, commissions and committees
There are no term limits for individuals serving in elected office in Carbondale. The Mayor and all City Council members are elected at-large (community-wide) and serve staggered, four-year terms of office.
Mayor Cole serves on the board of directors for the National League of Cities, Sister Cities International, the Illinois Municipal League, the Southern Illinois Mayors' Association and other public and private organizations.
At the age of 27, Brad Cole was elected the youngest-ever member of the Carbondale City Council. At the age of 31, he was elected the youngest-ever Mayor of the City of Carbondale.

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Mayor's Corner