Officials try to strike balance on mayoral pay
Municipalities want to attract qualified and knowledgeable candidates to run for office, but communities have to be cautious about how public dollars are spent.
Jim Brainard
Articles
Bond bank will manage Carmel debt
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard is trying to streamline the city’s debt management with a new Local Public Improvement Bond Bank. But it’s not clear whether his method in creating the bond bank, his choices for key positions, and his proposed combination of smaller bonds follow state guidelines and best practices.
Carmel City Council votes to change city to second-class status
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard wasted no time Monday night upgrading the city to second-class status with the approval of the newly elected Carmel City Council.
Missed vote puts spotlight on Brainard’s business trips
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard traveled out of state using public money nearly every month this year. His trips aren’t lavish, but he was gone on city business a total of 79 days, raising questions about both the hard and soft costs.
Aid for Carmel rose to $5.4M, to council leader’s surprise
Carmel City Council President Rick Sharp said he was under the impression that the city only needed to borrow $2.9 million to fix a budget shortfall, and wasn’t told the actual amount until after the council voted to approve the deal.
Critics vindicated by Carmel cash woes
A budget shortfall at Carmel Utilities has led to a deficit in the city’s general fund—a problem critics of Mayor Jim Brainard have been warning about for months.
Carmel to consider water, sewer rate increases
Standard & Poor’s just reduced the bond rating on the utility’s debt based on concerns about revenue and a low cash balance in the funds.
Carmel considering discrimination ban based on sexual orientation
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard announced Monday that he will introduce the ordinance to the City Council on Aug. 17.
Viewpoints on Brainard define races in Carmel
There aren’t two political parties in Carmel, but there are two camps. One aligns with five-term Mayor Jim Brainard. The other, well, they say it isn’t personal.