Nearly 1,000 people gathered to listen to the two candidates for City of Carmel mayor as they faced each other and a variety of questions in an Oct. 2 debate at The Palladium.
Republican Sue Finkam and Democrat Miles Nelson, both Carmel City Council members, spent about an hour answering questions posed by Current in Carmel Managing Editor Ann Marie Shambaugh.
The candidates exchanged verbal jabs on numerous occasions, but one of the more contentious moments came near the start of the debate, when Nelson brought up the Hamilton County Moms for Liberty chapter, which in June released a newsletter that included a quote from Adolf Hitler.
Nelson said at that time he reached out to Finkam and asked her to join him in denouncing the organization. He said it took Finkam five days to denounce the quote.
Finkam defended herself and said she did denounce the quote, and unlike her opponent she did not use the controversy to fundraise.
Nelson again invited Finkam to denounce Moms for Liberty right there in front of the audience. Finkham remained silent, and the audience audibly reacted.
“My opponent feels she needs the support of Moms for Liberty to win this election,” Nelson said.
Both candidates talked about moving forward and building on the legacy of outgoing Mayor Jim Brainard. They both are business owners, and both stressed the need to keep taxes low while maintaining quality of life in Carmel.
When asked what set them apart from each other, in addition to his comments about Moms for Liberty, Nelson said Finkam has referred to Carmel as warm and safe, which he said is thinking too small.
“We’re living in a competitive world,” he said, adding that Carmel needs to form strategic partnerships with neighboring communities, rather than considering them the competition. He said the real competition is urban areas in other states.
Nelson focused many of his comments on Carmel’s schools, although the city doesn’t govern the school system. He said he would defend the schools against “what’s happening next door,” referring to the Hamilton Southeastern Schools board in Fishers, which has made some controversial decisions in recent months.
Finkam said what sets her apart is her experience as a three-term council member, her business experience and the fact that she has a plan — a 57-point plan called “Elevate Carmel.” If elected, she said, she wants to kick off that plan with a community meeting to gather input.
Finkam primarily focused on economic issues throughout the debate. She said her biggest concern for Carmel is its fiscal health heading into the future. She noted that a significant portion of Carmel’s revenue is out of the city’s control.
“Are we going to have another recession? Is the state going to change the property tax, which is 40 percent of our revenue? Is the state going to change the (local income tax), which is 45 percent of our revenue?” she said. “We need fiscal flexibility, and somebody with a great deal of experience managing eight-figure budgets, 12 years on council, leading the finance committee, to have eyes on the budget to make sure we’re protecting your wallet.”
For more about Finkam’s candidacy, visit suefinkam.com. For more about Nelson’s candidacy, visit miles4mayor.com.
A recording of the entire debate can be viewed at youarecurrent.com. The general election is Nov. 7. Early voting begins Oct. 11.
