“As these buildings get renovated, new businesses are eager to move in, bringing renewed energy to our Main Street.”

You may have noticed the City of Milan is experiencing a period of significant growth and transformation thanks, in large part, to its mayor, Ed Kolar. 

A long-time resident of Milan committed to public service, Kolar has been instrumental in guiding the city through a time of both challenges and opportunities, with a focus on fiscal responsibility, infrastructure improvements, and community involvement.

Mayor Kolar first joined the Milan City Council in 2018, and by 2021, he was elected mayor, bringing with him extensive experience in finance and real estate. This expertise has been crucial in addressing the city’s pressing needs. “Our priority, when I started, was to improve all aspects of the city budget and eliminate waste,” Kolar explained. 

Like many of its neighbors, Milan is facing the daunting task of updating aging infrastructure—particularly its water and sewer systems, roads, and bridges. “We spent a good year just cutting waste and taking those savings and putting them back into the city where things have been overlooked. All of our assets were just in need of repair. So we spent the first year to year and a half cutting waste and putting it right back into making our assets stronger.” 

However, rather than patching problems as they arise, Kolar’s administration is taking a more proactive approach. Over the past 16 months, they have secured more than $7 million in grants that will prove crucial in addressing the long-overdue repairs and improvements.

One of the major projects funded by the grants is the revitalization of Wilson Park, a centrally located recreational space that hosts the annual community fair and has been a staple of life in Milan for generations. The park’s enhancements, scheduled for construction in 2025, include permanent restrooms, an all-inclusive playground, new basketball and pickleball courts, and a fitness circuit. And, because they’re funded by the grant, the upgrades will come without any additional financial burden to the taxpayers.

The downtown area is also seeing a remarkable resurgence, which Kolar says is due in large part to successful collaborations between the city and private investors. Mayor Kolar has made it a priority to foster these partnerships, understanding that revitalizing the downtown is crucial to Milan’s longevity. “The collaboration between the private sector and the city has been key,” Kolar notes. “As these buildings get renovated, new businesses are eager to move in, bringing renewed energy to our Main Street. Events like Third Thursdays have been instrumental in drawing people to the downtown area, creating a sense of community pride and spurring further interest from investors.”

Despite these successes, Mayor Kolar is well aware that there is still much work to be done. “Senior housing is a huge problem in Milan,” Kolar says. “Specifically, we have a large older population, and they don’t want to leave Milan, but we don’t have a next level of senior housing for them. When they get to that point where they can’t keep their homes and they have to go to some kind of senior housing, they end up leaving the area. We’ve been looking really hard to figure out how we get that next level of senior housing.”

Mayor Kolar is also aiming for more commercial growth in Milan. Said Kolar, “Our long-term goal, besides the infrastructure repairs, is to bring more commercial growth. Milan has lost some pretty big facilities for workers in the past ten years. We know homeowners would love to have some relief and share the tax base with more commercial growth. And that’s our focus.”

Under Mayor Kolar’s leadership, Milan is not just preserving its small-town charm but also positioning itself as a forward-thinking community ready to embrace future opportunities. The city’s progress, driven by strategic thinking, fiscal discipline, and community involvement, sets a promising tone for the years ahead. Said Kolar, “We’re doing well, and we’ve got the right people to do it.”