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Dear Editor:
What I have seen first-hand for the past three-plus years is that Sue is by far the most detail-oriented person on Council. Having run her own marketing company and having chaired the Finance Committee for years, Sue is very much a numbers person. At committee and council meetings she asks intelligent questions and is always well-prepared.
In the past year, I’ve had a number of conversations with her about where the city should be going post-Brainard, including moving to a shared vision of Carmel and improving our efficiency, financial solvency, and transparency of operations. Sue sees both the need and opportunity to improve Carmel’s internal operations and to become much more responsive to the community.
The deciding factor for me was how she broke with the mayor on several key issues when other councilors maintained their political loyalty.
Sue did a great job with the Hotel Carmichael investigation, including detailing how the $18.5 million cost overrun was concealed and making a number of substantial recommendations to prevent a future fiasco.
She along with Laura Campbell uncovered egregious workplace harassment by the City Attorney that had been swept under the rug for years, ultimately forcing the issue that got him fired.
Finally, Sue was empathetic to Councilor Kimball’s prolonged absence but pressed to return a voice and a vote to the residents of the Central District.
In these and other instances, Sue demonstrated her willingness to lean into political headwinds and earned my respect and support.
Dr. Tim Hannon
Carmel City Council member
Sue Finkham terrific