One week from today, those Carmel voters that have not already cast their votes via early or absentee ballot will do so at the polls. They will be choosing between two visions of leadership that will impact our one common future as a community.
To be sure, a grassroots movement of voters has grown into a major force in this primary election season. Ordinary Carmel voters are rejecting the politics-as-usual of massive public debt and fiscal mismanagement, lack of accountability and transparency, policies and projects hostile to existing small business, as well as crony politics.
Driving around the city, there is a small island of supporters of incumbent Carmel mayor Jim Brainard and the pro-Brainard incumbency within the older central area of the city, principally between Pennsylvania Street and Keystone Parkway. You can’t miss these supporters, as their homes and businesses have signs for the entire pro-Brainard slate crammed so tightly into their modest lot frontages that it becomes hard to focus on any one candidate’s sign.
Yet, venture east or west of this island and the signs for pro-Brainard slate candidates are all but non-existent. Instead, signs for mayoral challenger Fred Glynn are commonplace, as are those for at-large council candidate Dr. Tim Hannon (as they are even within the Central District). Within the Southeast District, challenger and longtime district resident Dave Hommel has overtaken pro-Brainard opponent Adam Aasen in both visibility and community engagement. Likewise, in the Southeast District, supporters of challenger Matt Milam are much more visible than those of incumbent district councilor Tony Green. Even within the Central District, a growing number of signs for challenger Chauncey Bogan are prominent, as voter dissatisfaction with incumbent Bruce Kimball runs high.
Are campaign signs a reliable indicator of candidate support in a given area of the city? Only after all votes are counted after the polls close on May 7th will we know for sure. However, it does point to a couple of significant vulnerabilities for the incumbency that it may be too late to overcome:
First, a lack of community engagement, transparency and open communication between Carmel’s elected officials and those residents living east of Keystone Parkway and west of Pennsylvania Street have served to create an unprecedented level of distrust of the incumbency. Also, there is a feeling by many residents in these areas – particularly in those westside neighborhoods that have been annexed to the city in recent years – that they are being ignored.
Secondly, the continued “all-in” focus on development of Carmel’s artificial downtown while ignoring basic infrastructure maintenance and improvements in these outer communities creates a feeling among residents that their own property investments and property values are not as important to the incumbency as a small section of the central city, where favored developers profit at the expense of Carmel’s resident taxpayers.
In these final days of the primary campaign, supporters of Jim Brainard and the council incumbency aligned with him are in a desperate all-out media blitz and spending record amounts to gain your vote. Tune out the noise and the numerous mailings filling your mailbox. Instead, take a look at what each candidate stands for. If you support the mayoral and council challengers, it is vitally important that you cast your vote. The incumbents will win if you stay home and do not vote.
Ask the tough questions. Then cast an informed vote on May 7th.
Brought to you by our friends at Essayists of Carmel, Indiana.
