Tomorrow is Primary Election Day in Carmel. Polls will be open between the hours of 6:00AM – 6:00PM. Please remember to bring photo ID as required by state law.
To confirm the location of your voting location, please go to https://indianavoters.in.gov and click on ‘Find Your Polling Place’ under VOTING LOCATION.
This is a primary election for each major party to determine its candidate for elective office. Because many of the elective offices do not have a member of the Democratic Party running, the Republican primary candidate receiving the most votes will determine who fills the office for the next four-year cycle.
Therefore, it is vitally important for all voter
s, regardless of party affiliation, to request a Republican ballot when checking in at the polls. If a Democratic ballot is requested and then a voter changes his or her mind and requests a Republican ballot, they will not be allowed to receive a Republican ballot.
Once you receive your Republican ballot and are at the voting booth, you as a voter have very important choices to make.
The campaigns of the incumbent mayor and city councilors aligned with him have engaged in a clumsy last-minute campaign of deception, deflection and intimidation to convince you that theirs is the only viable path forward for the next four years – that any other candidates will not have your best interests. They not only believe over $1.3 billion in public debt is a good thing but seek to double-down by accelerating development in order to increase assessed values, in order to reap even more tax revenues to fuel even more development – a never-ending cycle to feed the ravenous appetite of the public debt beast that has grown out of control on their watch due to lack of fiscal constraint. They deflect attention away from their mismanagement by trotting out false narratives about businesses relocating or expanding their headquarters, while failing to mention that most of these businesses only made their decisions after receiving generous financial incentives from the state and abatements and other incentives from the city of Carmel. They believe narrowing arterial streets and constructing little-used bike paths are a higher priority that upgrading existing wastewater and sewer deficiencies in Carmel’s established neighborhoods.
The campaigns of Republican mayoral challenger Fred Glynn and city council challengers Dr. Tim Hannon (at-large), Matt Milam (Southwest), Dave Hommel (Southeast) and Chauncey Bogan (Central) are based on an entirely different premise. A premise that all areas of Carmel should benefit equally from investments in infrastructure. That free-market supply and demand – not arbitrary government favoritism – should guide and drive development throughout the city and that abuses of tax-increment financing must end. That small businesses within all areas of the city need to be nurtured and have advocates at City Hall, rather than driven away by misguided development policies. That public debt must be reduced, rather than passed along to future generations. And – most importantly – that the mayor and council must always be transparent and responsive – rather than dismissive and contemptuous – to the citizens of Carmel.
To this end, when you are at the voting booth, it is time to reject the status quo and embrace a fresh, bright future for Carmel. The Essayists of Carmel, Indiana urge you to mark your Republican ballot as follows and make your voice heard and your vote count:
For Mayor of Carmel: FRED GLYNN
For Carmel City Clerk: (leave blank)
For Carmel City Judge: ANGELA (ANGIE) SWENSON
For Carmel City Council, Central District (District 1): CHAUNCEY BOGAN
For Carmel City Council, Northeast District (District 2): (leave blank)
For Carmel City Council, Southeast District (District 3): DAVE HOMMEL
For Carmel City Council, North District (District 4): (leave blank)
For Carmel City Council, Southwest District (District 5): MATT MILAM
For Carmel City Council, West District (District 6): (leave blank)
For Carmel City Council, At-Large: TIMOTHY HANNON
(leave all others blank)
Tomorrow, exercise your civic duty and cast an informed vote and make sure that your Carmel friends and neighbors do so as well. Carmel’s future depends upon it!
Brought to you by our friends at Essayists of Carmel, Indiana
