Sarah Carter

Personal life In July 2015, Carter revealed she had blocked 40 phone numbers after being bombarded with threatening and sexually explicit messages. Carter lamented that harassment had become worse with the rising popularity of social media amid calls for councillor's mobile phone numbers to not be made public. In a Facebook post, she described the alleged perpetrator as a coward, and told them: "if you think hiding behind an anonymous threat of violence is enough to rattle me, you're sorely mistaken. I shall continue to enjoy my strolls down Victoria Street as I have for the last 16 years, whilst police investigate the matter."

However, Carter stated that although she had reported the matter to the sexual offences team at a local police station in Footscray, the police had advised her they were limited in what they could do as the alleged offender had used a Globephone app.

Carter's partner at the time of her death was Nikhil Roy. It was later reported she had died from a suspected brain aneurysm.

Her death prompted tributes from various people including premier Jacinta Allan and acting Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece. It was attended by political figures such as Bill Shorten, Michael McCormack, Darren Chester. Josh Burns, Tim Watts, Dan Tehan, Ben Carroll, Danny Pearson, Melissa Horne and Natalie Hutchins.

She was also posthumously inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2024.

In 2025, Maribyrnong City Council voted to publicly acknowledged Carter's contribution in a number of ways. This included naming a contemplative seat at Footscray Wharf in her honour, displaying her mayoral robes within the council chamber in the renovated Town Hall, and creating a Sarah Carter Gender Equity Award at the annual Civic Awards.