Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam isn’t expected to receive a salary increase next year as the city adjusts to budgetary constraints under the state’s new property tax law.
The Carmel City Council on Monday night heard the introduction of an ordinance that would hold salaries in place for the city’s mayor, judge and city clerk. Council members discussed whether they, too, should forgo a cost-of-living increase.
By keeping salaries the same as they are in 2025, Finkam would receive $177,508 next year, while City Court Judge Brian Poindexter would make $156,183 and City Clerk Jacob Quinn would be paid $130,886.
Under the proposed ordinance, City Council members would receive a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, increasing their salaries from $25,129 to $25,881, but that could change by the time the measure receives a vote later this month.
As in previous years, the mayor would still receive 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.
Comparatively in Hamilton County, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is set to receive a 3.5% pay increase next year, to $178,923, and Westfield Mayor Scott Willis could receive a 3% raise, to $132,532. In Noblesville, Mayor Chris Jensen would receive $155,606, the same amount he is expected to receive this year.
Last year, members of the Carmel City Council approved an ordinance setting a new methodology for setting salaries after 2025. The same cost-of-living adjustment or general salary adjustment provided to non-elected executive branch employees—3% in next year’s salary ordinance—would also apply to elected officials, rather than a separate percentage increase. One purpose that was discussed was to set a standard and remove politics associated with raises for officials.
Previously, members of the Carmel City Council voted on percentage increases each year for the city’s elected officials.
However, Carmel is grappling with the impact of the state’s new property tax reform law, which was known as Senate Bill 1 before passing the General Assembly. The new law is expected to lead to steep drops in property tax revenue for Indiana local governments, including about $10 million in Carmel. Finkam’s budget calls for increases in public safety and parks, but it also proposes cuts in funding and staffing for other departments.
“Last year, we tried to memorialize the concept that whatever the [cost-of-living adjustment] was for civilian employees, that same percentage would be given to elected officials,” Carmel Chief Financial Officer Zak Jackson told council members. “At that time, we did not contemplate the budget woes that we were going to be facing this year, nor a situation where we wouldn’t be giving 100% across the board for all civilian [employee] increases.”
Some City Council members on Monday night expressed frustration about how it was determined that the city’s mayor, clerk and judge would not receive raises. Last year’s ordinance specified only that councilors would be able to pass a separate ordinance suspending or delaying a salary adjustment for the mayor.
They also said Jackson did not ask councilors if they would or would not take a cost-of-living adjustment in 2026 before the ordinance discussed Monday was drafted.
“I don’t think we would have gone along with this entire ordinance [last year] if we hadn’t been advised that this was the way to take politics out with elected officials just doing a cost-of-living increase, and then we would never have to touch it again,” Councilor Matthew Snyder said. “It was set. It was done. And now what I’m hearing is it’s not, and that’s very frustrating because now it’s a headline in the paper where we look like jackasses taking the city’s money when money’s tight.”
Finkam said she, Quinn and Poindexter chose to not accept cost-of-living adjustments because they wanted to send a sign to their employees during challenging times.
“The clerk, the judge and myself all have employees,” Finkam said. “That’s unlike the City Council, so we felt it was important to send a signal to them that while we’re asking them to make difficult changes, whether it be items within their budget or something else they felt important that didn’t make the budget, that we were taking a personal sacrifice.”
Carmel’s salary ordinance will likely return to the full council for a vote on Oct. 20 when councilors are expected to also vote on the city’s 2026 budget.
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved.