Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry Addresses The Challenges And The Positives In His State Of The City.

Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry talked about the strong points and challenges facing the city, at the annual State of The City address on Tuesday December 12th, 2017.  At the top of the plus list, the Mayor unveiled the new logo the city will soon be using to market itself.  He said 50–thousand visitors came to the city for the August eclipse, and he said that worldwide advertising was invaluable.  In 2015 statistics showed the lowest crime rate in the city in over 20 years.  On the down side Henry said budgeting is getting tougher, primarily because the state has recently reduced the city's share of the local government distributive fund, by over 500 thousand dollars.  This sudden decrease in funding in the middle of the city's fiscal year has forced the postponement of much–needed city improvements.  The Mayor also said  that there is a strong chance the state will  soon demand higher contributions to the state's pension system.  The city's new budget year begins in May.