At-large candidates for Valparaiso City Council responded to a variety of audience questions about the future of the city and Valparaiso Community Schools.
The council appoints four of the five School Board members.
Inclusion, transparency and accountability were persistent themes throughout the responses at Thursday’s event at Living Hope Church. The League of Women Voters and Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event.
Mayor Matt Murphy, a Republican, is running for council to pave the way for former Mayor Jon Costas’ bid to return to office.
“I love downtown. It’s part of who I am,” he said. Murphy grew up in a Queen Anne home built by Valparaiso University Law School founder Col. Mark DeMotte and spent much of his childhood riding his bike downtown. “I want to see it continue to thrive and be vibrant,” he said. “We’re seeing the private sector step up now and invest.”
Democrat Ellen Kapitan said with high-density housing being built downtown, the city needs to make sure the necessary infrastructure is in place so the city can continue to grow. “I love downtown, and I love what it has to offer our current residents,” she said.
Republican Michelle Harris said the city’s downtown growth can help existing businesses.
“Who doesn’t love our downtown? It’s great,” Democrat Emilie Hunt said. She added, “I think we have a hyper focus on our downtown that has taken our attention away from our underserved population.”
Turning to School Board appointments, Murphy said, “It’s right up there with approving the budget” in importance. He wants applicants to have executive experience or to have served on a board or commission. He also is interested in their experience in dealing with diverse populations.
“I think it’s a very serious job and that the vetting process does lead to highly qualified candidates,” Kapitan said. However, she wasn’t happy with the board appointment last year, when financial guru Karl Cender was returned to the board instead of others who applied. “It’s broke, and we should fix it,” she said.
“I think it is time to move to an elected School Board,” Hunt said. Valparaiso’s appointed board is a rarity in Indiana. “I would love to see a teacher on that School Board. I would love to see a parent on that School Board,” she said.
Hunt favors making half the board members appointed and half elected. “I do think that 50% elected would be an effective way to balance this out,” she said.
“It is a special school system,” one of the top 20 in Indiana, Murphy said, and the $100 million school system budget is approved by the City Council.
The School Board could opt to become elective positions, Hunt said, or a petition with enough signatures could force a referendum on the question.
Candidates were asked to weigh in on what’s lacking in city government.
Kapitan said the city needs an inclusive culture, including showing decorum and respect for each other while creating solutions and collaborating. She wants to create a sustainability commission to focus on environmental issues in the city.
Harris said the city needs a more efficient way to process news on what’s going on in the city. Not everyone is on Facebook, she noted.
Hunt said the city needs to be more responsive. The public can ask questions at council meetings, but they often aren’t answered. She knows this from personal experience, she said. She also wants to see more discussion at council meetings. “Democracy demands discussion,” Hunt said.
“If we had debates at every City Council meeting, how long would these go?” asked Harris. She suggested roundtable discussions for specific projects to focus discussions.
Murphy said much of what the council votes on is presented to council members before the meetings, giving them time to research and process information before the meetings happen. “We’ve really upped our game with government transparency,” he said, by putting City Hall meetings online.
The candidates discussed populations that often consider themselves marginalized, such as LGBTQIA and people of color.
“I don’t think it’s the city government’s job to tell people what to celebrate,” Harris said. “It is not right to ask anyone else to celebrate everything.”
Kapitan said she supported a Pride Month resolution. “Listen to these folks,” she said, and invite them to the table.
“Representation matters,” Hunt said. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made since I’ve lived here, but we can do more.”
Murphy noted the Human Relations Commission exists for discussions like this. He recently held a dinner with people with disabilities to hear their points of view, he said.
One of the questions dealt with gender affirmation, especially for minors.
“This seems like a dog whistle,” Kapitan said. “Our job is to keep people safe, and in this case it’s our job to keep our children safe.”
Suicide is the second-highest cause of deaths for teens, Hunt said. “I agree with providing an including space for our kids and a safe place for our kids.”
Harris and Murphy said the issue isn’t one that should face the council. “It should be a private discussion that parents should be having with their kids,” Murphy said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
