By Cecilia Chan | Peoria Independent
As the bedroom community of Peoria looks to grow its reputation and economy, today’s mayor is dealing with more responsibility, more expectations, a bigger workload and longer work hours.
When Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat is not presiding over a council meeting or attending numerous regional boards, she is often called upon to meet with constituents, appear at community functions or promote the city’s benefits to businesses and other groups.
“When I came into office I had lots of things on my plate,” said Ms. Carlat, seated in the mayor’s office on the third floor of City Hall. “My goal is to be a presence in the Valley. I felt for so many years we were kind of invisible in the Valley; not the presence I felt Peoria deserved considering how well we are doing.”
