Description
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt holiday festival will continue, but not with its original board or nonprofit that has operated the event since 2017. Mayor Sue Finkam announced new board leadership.
Finkam said that decision was to protect taxpayers because the nonprofit failed to repay the city for use of its resources.
In an email to 13News, Christkindlmarkt staff says reimbursement "had largely been resolved through the negotiations."
"The remaining issue that had become a sticky point related to the city's demand that it be granted ownership of the market and its trademarks. The CCI board could not agree to that as it would place the nonprofit status of the CCI at risk," said Sue McDermott, former board chair of Carmel Christkindlmarkt.
Mayor Finkam told 13News, "By instituting a change in governance, we are now able to access financial and operational information to help ensure fiscal accountability to taxpayers. This information, even after repeated requests, was not provided."
MORE: https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/big-changes-coming-carmels-beloved-christkindlmarkt-mayor-sue-finkam-takeover/531-72f7f55d-38cb-4186-838f-4455d47bfc47