Former mayor Coral Houle has a storied legacy of community service in Bloomington and beyond. She passed away at the age of 87 at the end of October. Coral served as Bloomington’s mayor from 1995-1999. Building community was a lifelong focus for Coral who joined the Bloomington Human Rights Commission in 1972, followed by terms on the Planning Commission, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Bloomington Development Council. In 1990, Coral was appointed to fill a vacant City Council seat. She served for five years as a council member, then another five as mayor.
Coral was a trailblazer in being the first woman to serve as mayor of Bloomington and she made a lasting impact on the community that we enjoy today.
During her term as mayor, Mall of America opened, the City achieved the highest possible upgrades to the City’s bond ratings, several Ring Route (American Boulevard) segments of road were constructed, the interchange at I-494 and Highway 169 was completed, and the South Loop area (then known as Airport South) saw further growth.
Houle was quoted saying that she believed her greatest contribution to the city was developing a sense of community in Bloomington. She was also an advocate for transparency in government. As a result, communications between City Hall and the public were improved during her tenure. In the 1990s, she suggested publishing the Briefing quarterly, an increase from its previous infrequent publishing schedule. This is a move former City Manager Mark Bernhardson says was indicative of Coral’s leadership.
“Mayor Houle provided strong, key leadership in that quiet but very effective manner she exhibited during her decades of service,” Bernhardson said. “Desiring to achieve consensus, she made the tough choices when needed for the betterment of the community. Her service as mayor laid the foundations for Bloomington that continue to grow and prosper today.”
You can watch a retrospective of Coral’s dedication to public service on the City’s YouTube channel at blm.mn/coral.
