Carmel City councilmember will remain in office after vote to declare seat vacant fails

Carmel Councilman Bruce Kimball will remain on the city council after it failed to pass a resolution Monday night that would start the process of declaring his seat vacant.

A 4-4 vote failed to approve the resolution, sponsored by Councilors Sue Finkam, Laura Campbell and Tim Hannon.

Councilor Tony Green joined the resolution's sponsors in voting in favor of starting the process to remove Kimball from office. Councilors Miles Nelson, Jeff Worrell, Adam Aasen and Kevin Rider voted against the resolution.

Kimball, who was elected in 2019 to the Carmel Council, last attended a city council meeting in December 2020 — that same month he suffered a stroke. He attended no public council meetings in 2021, according to a review of meeting minutes.

Carmel’s Central District boundaries span from 116th street to the south to 146th street to the north and from U.S. 31 to the west to near Carey Road to the east.

The district includes a significant portion of downtown Carmel, which has seen major redevelopment projects proposed and been the scene of major community debates, such as the rezoning of The GOAT tavern.

Carmel city council member Bruce Kimball greets supporters and friends at an election watch party for Carmel Republican candidates at DonatelloÕs Italian Restaurant in Carmel, Ind., Tuesday, May 7, 2019.
Carmel city council member Bruce Kimball greets supporters and friends at an election watch party for Carmel Republican candidates at DonatelloÕs Italian Restaurant in Carmel, Ind., Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

'It needs to happen': Carmel City Council to discuss removing member at next meeting

More local: Carmel City Council setting up procedures for removing elected members from office

Cities like Carmel already have the power to remove members of a city council through state law. In December, the Carmel City Council established specific procedures for how the council could remove a member.

Under that ordinance, the council would need a resolution, a bill of impeachment and a city council hearing with a supermajority vote to remove a member.

After Monday’s vote, no additional steps in the process will go forward.

If Kimball’s seat had been vacated under Carmel’s processes, it would have triggered a caucus for the Hamilton County Republican Party in which precinct committee people would elect someone to fill Kimball’s seat.

Councilors Monday night debated approving the resolution with those in favor of initiating the process to vacate Kimball’s seat saying the residents of the central district need direct representation on city issues.

Carmel City Hall
Carmel City Hall

Green, a product of the caucus process, said it’s an obligation for an elected person to represent the people.

“I know Bruce's circumstances are horrible, but Bruce has not represented anybody for 18 months and more than likely from what everyone's heard, and Councillor Nelson talking about his medical health, he's not going to be coming back in the next 12, 18 months,” Green said. “So that's three years of no representation.”

Councilors against the resolution said the council should show compassion to Kimball for his situation and questioned proceeding with the caucus process when 2023 primary and general elections would allow voters to elect the next councilor for the central district.

“I have serious concerns about this council overriding the will of the voters when we're this close to the next election,” Worrell, a precinct committee person, said.

“Now, because campaigning will start this fall, I am unwilling to take away the right for everyone of the central district to choose their representative and instead give it to just a handful of precinct committee people to decide behind closed doors," he said.

Carmel’s council has nine members. Six members represent specific districts and three members are elected at-large representatives.

Worrell, an at-large councilor, said he would continue to respond to concerns of residents in the central district.

“I want to assure everyone that I will continue to proactively communicate with the residents of the central district about the issues facing our city,” he said.

Kimball’s term on the council ends in 2024.

Contact IndyStar's Carmel and Westfield reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel City Council vote to initiate removing member from office fails