Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce hosted a Meet The Candidates evening Thursday at Lakeview Middle School. Included in the evening was a chance for the public to hear about the two candidates for clerk-treasurer and respond to several prepared questions.

Candidates for clerk-treasurer include Lynne A. Christianson and Larry Ladd.

Clerk-treasurer candidate questions included stating their qualities for the position, what innovations they would bring to the office and the greatest fiscal challenge facing the community and how the clerk-treasurer’s office can help solve it.

Challenges in the community and how the clerk-treasurer’s office can help solve it had both candidates stating there are state statutes that office has to follow. But both expanded on what can be done outside of those statutes.

Ladd stated full transparency of the office, maintaining services but keeping taxes as reasonable as it can be can help solve fiscal challenges. He referred to the upcoming Buffalo Street project which “will raise the tax base,” and the Market Streets project, which when completed will “see homeowners take pride … the city is headed in the right direction.”

Christianson referred to the tax caps allowing the city to collect “so much.” She referred to several initiatives she has taken since in office that has helped save the city money. These initiatives included changing the health insurance program to “keep cost down. The rates are not going up as high as if we were self insured.” She stated another way is to cut spending where it is not needed without effecting services. She added last year an audit on the city’s telephone service was completed allowing cuts for unnecessary services and charges. Recently the same was done with the gas utilities, cutting thousands of dollars off the yearly bills.

“Right now we are busting at the seams so to speak, of our records that we have to retain permanently, one of the things I’m considering is trying to get those things stored on some kind of medium” stated Christian about proposed innovations. But her hands are somewhat tied due to state regulations.  Other innovations she stated would go by what the state may mandate or what technology might come along as it progresses.

Ladd noted that question was hard to answer as he is not involved in day-to-day-operations. “The most important thing is to show confidence to our citizens that we are very transparent.” He encouraged welcoming citizens to come into the city hall, to “come in and visit with us and prove to them, see the records, see the financial data. I think that goes a long way assuring their people that their money is spend in a responsible fashion.”

He noted the clerk-treasurer’s office does not come up with the policy and has to follow the guidelines, the rules, the statutes of the state, board of accounts and what the council dictates. “I’ve attended a quite a few of the council meetings and it’s a shame,” he stated noting very few attend these meetings, just as that evening’s event has shown.