We sat down with Mayor Sue Finkam to reflect on the accomplishments of 2024 and gain insight into her administration’s immediate goals for 2025. Mayor Finkam highlighted a year marked by significant achievements, including the successful launch of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Public Safety. This initiative has become instrumental in fostering community trust and proactively addressing evolving safety concerns, setting a strong foundation for the city’s future. Beyond public safety, she emphasized the creation of several other advisory commissions, each aimed at enhancing efficiency and improving the quality of life for Carmel residents.
Finkam expressed pride in the collaborative efforts that have strengthened community engagement and highlighted Carmel’s ongoing commitment to innovation and inclusivity. As she looks toward 2025, she is eager to build on this momentum, implementing actionable strategies that prioritize resident needs while maintaining Carmel’s reputation as a model for thriving cities.
Launching Collaborative Solutions
The mayor’s advisory committees are designed to address key areas impacting the city’s growth and well-being. The Affiliate Review Committee, unanimously approved by the Carmel City Council, exemplifies this initiative. This committee builds on efforts led by Finkam earlier in the year, including restructuring governance frameworks for organizations like Promote Carmel, Inc., and implementing a financial transparency portal that provides residents with a detailed view of the city’s expenditures.
In February 2024, Finkam established the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Arts to replace the Carmel Public Art Advisory Committee, emphasizing a renewed focus on fostering creativity and supporting local artists. Similarly, the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Senior Living, announced shortly thereafter, prioritizes enhancing resources and opportunities for Carmel’s senior residents.
Public safety also remains a top priority, with the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Public Safety , launched in August 2024 through Executive Order SF-2024-20, working to improve emergency response protocols and foster collaboration between public safety agencies and the community. Collectively, these committees reflect Finkam’s commitment to inclusivity, fiscal stewardship and proactive governance, ensuring that Carmel remains a vibrant, secure and thriving city for all its residents.
“It’s about investing in our people infrastructure,” Finkam said. “We also established the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Veterans & Military Families, dedicated to providing services and support to both veterans and military families. This [committee] has only met a few times, and the ideas are coming quickly. I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with so that our veterans and their families feel supported by their community.”
Key Achievements and Milestones in 2024
Key Achievements and Milestones in 2024
“First of all, I’m really happy that we’ve been able to engage our fifth graders at City Council Meetings,” Finkam expressed. “That makes me incredibly happy. It’s personally satisfying knowing that I’m planting seeds for future civic engagement down the road. I’m happy with the launch of the financial transparency portal. I’m also really proud of the economic development under the leadership of Executive Director of Economic Development Nick Weber. We’re truly looking at everything as far as how we attract and retain businesses as well as evaluating how we can do redevelopment better. I’m happy that we hired a person to oversee purchasing, and we are looking at different opportunities and ways to make improvements on how we procure different things, whether it be some of the consultants we use or how we purchase vehicles.”
Looking Ahead at 2025
Finkam spoke passionately about enhancing community engagement, aiming to expand platforms that connect residents with city leaders and foster open dialogue. With a clear vision and a collaborative approach, Finkam is poised to build on 2024’s successes, driving innovation and inclusivity into the new year.
“I want to continue to focus on community engagement and putting our volunteer program on steroids,” Finkam stated. “We’re working on a plan where we can work with our nonprofit and other organizations in the community. There’s a lot of synergy with this initiative, and if we build an army of volunteers for our community, and, God forbid, if we have something serious or a tragedy to contend with, we can rely on this volunteer corps as part of the solution and ensuring our resiliency.”
Finkam continued, “We are also going to focus on visiting our neighborhoods and bringing police, fire and other aspects of our services to the community as part of our community engagement… not just in the way of mobile town halls but truly something fun and memorable that will bring out our residents, families and kids. We need to cast a wider net so that everyone feels like they’re part of the community.”
Finkam expressed her concerns regarding the state legislature’s potential budgetary changes for 2025, highlighting impacts on Carmel’s finances and services. She emphasized the importance of staying ahead of these changes to protect the interests of Carmel’s residents and taxpayers. Finkam discussed how she is taking a proactive role in advocating for Carmel by engaging with state lawmakers and ensuring that the city’s needs are well-represented. With a focus on fiscal responsibility, she is committed to making sure that any budgetary adjustments align with Carmel’s goals for growth, infrastructure and public services while minimizing burdens on local taxpayers.
“The state legislators have the power to do some pretty significantly damaging things to the budget as well as potentially helpful things,” Finkam said. “That’s going to impact everybody, and I’m going to be taking a very active role at the state legislature this coming year. I’ve been working hard this last half of the year, meeting with state legislators and introducing myself as the Mayor of Carmel. There is a perception that Carmel has everything it needs, and while we are very blessed, we have financial needs that are not [currently] being met. We have to be hungry and smart to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to maximize our taxpayers’ dollars.”
Finkam concluded, “It is such an honor to represent this community. I would like to say to my constituents, thank you for putting your trust in me. I try to earn it every day. Not a day goes by that I don’t understand that I was put here [in this office] to represent you, appropriately, and to work very hard on your behalf. The S&P Global Ratings has reaffirmed Carmel’s ‘AA’ bond rating, with a stable outlook, and with that, I feel even more positive about the city’s future.”
