Letter: How much is Carmel in debt really?

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Editor,

I am exhausted with articles in the Current and the Indianapolis Star alluding to the magnitude of Carmel’s debt. Some City Council members and others express alarm and suggest the city will not be able to pay the interest and principal without significant tax increases. The mayor and others claim there is absolutely no need to be concerned and that the city finances are in great shape. Interestingly, none of these articles clearly set forth any precise and complete dollar amounts. It’s like watching a tennis match that never ends; i.e. tiring and frustrating.

I would like to see this issue put to bed one way or the other. We either have a serious problem or we don’t. We need to know the facts, fix the problem if there is one and move on to other issues.

I suggest that in one of your upcoming “From the Backshop” columns (which incidentally, I think are informative, logical and on target) that you request that the appropriate government representatives, be it the mayor, the city council or city auditors publish, in a future Current, details on the debt, interest payments and lease commitments  that will be accurate, clear and understandable to your readers. For perspective, it would be useful to see a comparison with other Indiana cities. We have enough obfuscation and misrepresentation in government at the federal level.  While we may not be able to do much about the national problem, we should not tolerate it at the local level.

The citizens of Carmel deserve better.

Hans Collins

Carmel


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