Believe it or not, movie star Clint Eastwood used to be Mayor of Carmel; He was elected on April 8th, 1986 after defeating incumbent Charlotte Townsend: 2166 votes to Townsend's 799. During his tenure he made several marked improvements to the Carmel area; he installed additional public restrooms, added stairways leading to the beach, and expanded the local library. As mayor, there was a definite increase in tourism visiting the area. Despite these successes many local residents have some choice words to say about Eastwood's tenure... but you'll have to ask the locals yourself if you want to hear them.