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Citizen Access

Print Version

The purpose of freedom of information legislation and sunshine laws is to increase the openness of government.

On a national level, the federal Freedom of Information Act was signed into law on July 4, 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson. On a local level each state has its own open records legislation that governs documents at the state and local (cities, counties, school districts) level.

Below are areas which involve the City of Carbondale:

Public Meetings, Agendas and Minutes - The current City Council Agenda along with Past Agendas, Audio Recordings, Minutes, Hearings and listings of all Public City Meetings can be found on the Public Meetings Page.

Storm Damage and Clean-up Summary - A Financial Summary, including damage to City property, purchase of supplies and equipment, staff time and overtime, debris removal costs and estimated loss of revenue from the May 8, 2009 Storm. 

Budgets / Audits - The City of Carbondale displays the current operating budget and the previous years audited financial statement in the Financial Overview Section of this website. Questions regarding City Finances may be addressed to the Finance Director at 618-549-5302.

Online Check Registry - The Mayor and City Council approve all expenditures for the City of Carbondale.  Multiple expenditures are compiled into groups called warrants.  Warrants are approved for payment during regular City Council meetings.  A registry of the current and previous fiscal year warrants can be found here, and are listed in order from current to the beginning of the fiscal year. The City of Carbondale's fiscal year begins May1 and ends April 30 of each year.

Open Meeting Laws - The City of Carbondale falls under the provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act. All Council and subsidiary board, commission and committee meetings are open to the public and notice of the meetings is provided to the news media at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Notice of upcoming meetings are also published on CityVision 16 and on the Calendar Section of the City's website. Questions regarding the Open Meetings Act may be addressed to the City Clerk at 618-549-5302.

Elected Officials - All elected officials names and contact information may be found on the City Officials page.

Administrative Officials - All administrators and managers contact information is displayed in the City Staff Directory.

City of Carbondale Employee Base Salaries - A list of employee salaries by department/division as of September 30, 2009.

Ethics - The Carbondale City Government promotes itself and does business following a code of ethics set aside in Section 1-5-1, Chapter Five in the Carbondale Revised Code.

Contracts / Bids - For more information on contracts, bids and open market procedures see sections 1-6-13 and 1-6-14 in the Carbondale Revised Code.  Questions regarding contracts and bids may be addressed to the City's Purchasing Coordinator at 618-549-5302.

Lobbying - The Mayor and City Council monitor legislation at the local, state and federal levels to stay abreast of issues that may affect the community. The Mayor is the official spokesman for the city government in all political and legislative affairs and when dealing with other elected officials.

The City of Carbondale is a dues-paying member of numerous associations that may conduct legislative advocacy initiatives at the state and/or federal levels. These associations include the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and the Illinois Municipal League.

Public Records - The City of Carbondale falls under the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Persons wishing to view or obtain copies of City records should complete a "Request for Records" form and submit it to the City Clerk's Office. The City has seven working days to provide the records. Certain records are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act but if the records are exempt, the requester will be provided with the specific provision in the Freedom of Information Act which makes them exempt. Questions regarding the Freedom of Information Act may be addressed to City Clerk at 618-549-5302.

Permits- A listing of permits can be found in the Building and Neighborhood Division. More information can be found under City Permits.

Zoning - Questions about zoning can be addressed to the Development Services Department. More information can be found in the Planning Services section of our website.

Taxes - The City of Carbondale collects various taxes and fees, such as sales tax, utility tax, user and registration fees, to fund the general operation of the government.  The City collects no property tax for general government purposes and is one of only a few cities in Illinois to do so.  Information concerning the revenue sources of the City of Carbondale may be found in Section III - Major Revenue Sources of the operating budget.

Municipal Code - The City Code is maintained by Sterling Codifiers. Once a City Ordinance is amended or added the City of Carbondale Legal Department submits changes to be codified. Click here to access the Carbondale Revised Code.

Privacy - The City has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm and continuing commitment to the privacy of personal information provided by those visiting and interacting with this site. We hold the privacy of your personal information in the highest regard. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for this website. Click here to access the Privacy Policy.

Public Service Announcements - The City of Carbondale utilizes City publications, CityVision 16 cable Television channel, AM 1620 Radio and the City Website with Daily News and Press Releases and  the Carbondale Police Department website to help keep citizens informed.

Website Development - This website was designed under contract with The Arthur Agency, as approved by the City Council, at a cost of $15,915.