History: Mayoral Debate Transcript: Evansville Review March 29, 2006; Mayoral Candidate Decker Speaks:

(Ed. note. I have published the public transcript as reported in the Evansville Review on March 29, 2006, page 19. The Observer is grateful for the transcript and audio that was such an effort by Tammy Pomplun for this debate.)

"Question 3: What is your position on rate of residential development and how do you propose to maintain it?"

  

Sandy Decker; My understanding was that the number was 35 new homes for each of the two main developers for the city. There have been questions about if that is the absolute numbers each year, whether it can be averaged so that one year you do three times 35 and the next two years not do any. I think that has a very different impact on our school system and the school did come before plan commission a couple of months ago and indicate that our elementary school is at 90 percent capacity now. We need to carefully monitor and channel the rate of residential growth so that our school can keep up. But a new school would just send our property taxes through the roof, so we've got to keep a close eye on residential growth, keep it monitored, keep it even. We do need it. It positively impacts the funding formula for the school. It's a fine line that we walk and it has to be monitored carefully. Thank You. "

(Ed. note. This audio is poor. Be patient and use headphones.) Thanks.