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Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam could receive a boost in pay next year as the city prepares to establish a new formula for how it determines annual salary increases for elected officials.
The Carmel City Council on Monday night heard an introduction of an ordinance that would provide 3% raises in 2025 for the city’s mayor, judge, clerk and council members. That comes on top of a 3% raise this year that was approved in 2023.
The proposed raise means Finkam would receive a salary of $177,508 next year, an increase from the $172,338 that she is receiving in her first year in office. In January, Finkam succeeded former seven-term Mayor Jim Brainard.
Comparatively in Hamilton County, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is set to receive a 6% pay increase next year, to $172,653, and Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen could receive a proposed 5% raise, to $155,606. An elected official salary ordinance for Westfield has not yet been made available.
Carmel City Court Judge Brian Poindexter’s salary would increase from $151,634 to $156,183, while Clerk Jacob Quinn would receive a pay hike from $127,074 to $130,886.
Each Carmel City Council member’s annual paycheck will increase from $24,395 to $25,129.
Same as in previous years, the ordinance also would provide the mayor with a leased vehicle for personal and/or business use with no limit on annual mileage, or a monthly stipend of $600. The city would be responsible for maintenance, repairs, cleaning and gasoline for a leased vehicle.
The ordinance would also set a new methodology for setting salaries after 2025.
Carmel Chief Financial Officer Zac Jackson told council members that the same cost-of-living adjustment or general salary adjustment provided to non-elected executive branch employees would also apply to elected officials, rather than a separate percentage increase.
He noted that City Council members would also be able to pass a separate ordinance suspending or delaying a salary adjustment for the mayor. Jackson compared the formula to the one he used to set salary levels when he served as the state of Indiana’s budget director.
“This is, in my mind, taking the best practices that we had at the state level when it came to elected official salaries, as well as kind of addressing what’s kind of a nightmare with the city of Indianapolis, just in terms of how these increases get so political,” Jackson said.
In Indianapolis, Mayor Joe Hogsett earlier this year threatened to veto a proposal to elevate the mayor’s annual salary from $95,000 to $125,000—a 31% increase—as well as increase salaries for seven other elected positions. Hogsett has said he will “never accept a pay raise as mayor.” The salary for Indianapolis mayor has not been raised since 2002.
The Indianapolis City-County Council last month ultimately passed an ordinance that will raise the mayoral salary to $150,000 after Hogsett is expected to leave office. Other elected officials will receive pay increases ranging from 40% to 214% beginning next year.
Pay for elected officials has been a consistent battle through Hogsett’s time in office. City-County Council members made four attempts in seven years to secure a pay raise before increasing annual pay for councilors to about $31,075.
Carmel’s salary ordinance will next go before the City Council’s Finance, Utilities and Rules Committee on Monday. It will likely return to the full council for a vote on Oct. 21 when councilors are expected to also vote on the city’s 2025 budget.
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So now we know where the money they wanted to save from Christkindlmarkt is going.
Like most employers: Should wait to reward after they have been there awhile and evaluate their work. After all folks this is taxpayers’ money. The only government that exists FOR Cities, Towns, Counties States and Federal are the taxpayers that pay taxes so you can spend. So be frugal. I think from what I am hearing that Carmel had substantial increases in taxes last year and with inflation we best be cognizant of costs to the taxpayers. They are struggling too. Are more services of these folks greater than in the past?