Office of the Mayor

Dear Friends, Greeting from the City of Carbondale "Northeastern Pennsylvania's 1st City!"
I'm Mayor Justin Taylor and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Pioneer City's Official Web Site. I also wish to invite you to come and enjoy the many great things we have to offer. Over the next few years, Carbondale will be undertaking some major renovations. Improvements to infrastructure, private business development, new housing construction, and increased recreational opportunities will renew the fabric of our community. Not only are we changing the way we look, but we're changing the way we live. I believe the strength of our city comes from rich and diverse ideas, true community spirit, and neighbors and families who truly care about each other, and want to make Carbondale a wonderful place to call "home." Join us in the Pioneer City as we Continue the Progress and Write the NEXT Chapter in the American Story.

THE HONORABLE JUSTIN M. TAYLOR, MAYOR

Justin M. Taylor is serving in his second term as Mayor of the City of Carbondale. The youngest Mayor in the history of the City, he was elected on November 4, 2003 at the age of 25, and fulfills the duties of City Administrator as well as Mayor. Prior to his election in 2003, Mayor Taylor served four years as a city-wide member of Carbondale City Council, where he was Chairman of the Public Safety Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. A lifelong resident of Carbondale's West Side, Mayor Taylor graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1996. In 2000, Mayor Taylor earned a bachelor's degree in Public Administration / Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from the University of Scranton. He also was awarded an associate's degree in Fire Protection the same year from Luzerne County Community College. Mayor Taylor served in a career position as a Director of Economic Development in Susquehanna County (PA) from 2001 to 2004. During his tenure in Carbondale, Mayor Taylor has worked extremely hard to improve the quality of life for all of Carbondale's 10,000+ residents. His main priorities are: revitalizing Carbondale's historic downtown; preserving the City's many neighborhoods as great places to live and raise a family; running the operations of City government like an efficient and effective multi-million dollar business; and creating a renewed sense of pride in the community.

Downtown Revitalization: Through a public / private partnership with the Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and several community stakeholders, the City was able to conduct a strategic planning exercise to determine where the 'Pioneer City' should be in 10 to 15 years. Mayor Taylor embraced this plan and immediately began pushing the plan into the hands of developers from all areas of the Tri-State region. Several key projects have been identified and pre-development planning continues on nearly 10 sites. Despite minor delays and setbacks on a few projects, the overall plan remains unchanged and enthusiasm over this comprehensive economic development strategy continues to build with an estimated $28 million of construction expected before the end of 2011. The flagship project of the strategic plan is the much anticipated $13 Million 'Pioneer Plaza' which is a new construction project that includes a 60+ room hotel, a 500-seat roof-top conference center, 11 market rate apartments, 8,000 square feet of class A retail space, a first class restaurant, and a parking facility able to accommodate approximately 180 vehicles. Construction is expected to begin in the late Spring of 2009.

Neighborhood Revitalization: Mayor Taylor's 'Neighborhoods First' initiative focuses on improving the quality of life in all of the City's neighborhoods. With funding from the Commonwealth of PA, Mayor Taylor strategically invested over $2.5 million in housing rehabilitation in targeted areas. The main focus of 'Neighborhoods First' is to recruit working families into owner-occupied dwellings, and to eliminate vacant, abandoned or blighted properties. In 2005, Mayor Taylor also initiated an unprecedented residential tax incentive program that continues to expand the tax base by offering abatements for renovations, new construction, de-conversions, and demo / new construct projects. Nearly 300 families now call Carbondale 'HOME' as a result of this initiative. Additionally, during the timeframe of 2004 and 2007, over 900 property transactions took place compared to only 400+/- during the previous 4 years evidencing that working individuals and families are moving to Carbondale!

Efficient Government: When Mayor Taylor took office in January of 2004, the City had staggering deficits. Creative debt reduction plans, coupled with controlling City spending and aggressively generating alternative sources of revenue actually allowed the City to finish fiscal year '04 with a budget surplus. Mayor Taylor was also able to propose balanced budgets with only a minor 1 mill tax increase so far in his 5 year tenure. In 2007, Mayor Taylor developed the 'Tax Payers Assistance Program' whereby, a payment plan for real estate taxes and other City fees was established for the first time ever.

Community Pride: In 2004, Mayor Taylor established a non-profit corporation to coordinate community activities in an effort to rebuild a strong sense of pride in Carbondale. The first major initiative of the Taylor Administration was the extraordinarily successful 'Pioneer Nights Block Party' a multi-day downtown festival with live music, food, entertainment, and games. Since its inception, the 'Pioneer Nights Committee, Inc.' has sponsored Fall festivals, car shows, train and bus excursions, among other events for the people of Northeastern PA. In 2009, a Music & Wine Festival, a Fall Festival & Beer Tasting, Movies in the Park, and several more fun and exciting activities are planned.