CARMEL — Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam is considering moving some public meetings from evening hours to daytime in 2026, a change that could save the city $200,000 in overtime pay for city employees next year.
WRTV reached out to the mayor to ask about the changes, but she was not available. A spokesperson from her office claimed that no decisions have been made but confirmed the potential cost savings.
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The move would make Carmel just the fourth city in Central Indiana to schedule meetings during work hours.
City Council member Jeff Worrell has mixed feelings about the proposal.
"I want to actually give Mayor Finkham credit. You know, she's trying to cut dollars, and I get that. That's her job as the executive of the city," Worrell said.
However, Worrell expressed concerns about how the change would affect council members and residents.
"I have to have another source of income during the day. So how do I go to a plan commission meeting and still hold a job? While we may be helping our staff not to have to work evening hours, it's the exact opposite for City Council members," Worrell said.
When asked about resident concerns, Worrell emphasized accessibility issues.
"Ability to participate. We have to continue to do more about keeping our citizens informed, not shrinking the ability for them to participate," Worrell said.
No law in Indiana requires these meetings to be held exclusively at night. The Indiana Code on public meetings claim they can be held anytime throughout the day as long as they are reasonably accessible to the public.
Worrell believes the evening schedule is worth the investment.
"I can't imagine those now occurring over somebody's noon hour or at three o'clock in the afternoon. I know there could be a dollar savings, but to me, it's worth it's an investment to spend those dollars to make sure that I can show up and make my voice heard," Worrell said.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
