The two candidates vying to be Valparaiso’s next mayor differed on a number of topics during a Wednesday night forum, including their approaches to affordable housing, economic development and an elected school board.

Democrat Bill Durnell, who owns a consulting business and Roots Organic Café, faced Republican Matt Murphy, who represents District 3 on the City Council and runs a family-owned business, addressed questions before a full audience at the Memorial Opera House in a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Porter County.

Mayor Jon Costas, a Republican, is not seeking another term after serving for 16 years as the city’s mayor.

In opening statements, Murphy, who noted his involvement with Costas “since day 1,” said the city is headed in the right direction with “great momentum,” but Durnell sought to distance himself from the current administration.

“What I am not is a member of the ‘old boys club,’ ” Durnell said, adding he grew up in a working-class family in Hammond, and he and his wife, Carrie, chose to live in Valparaiso after spending a few years in Chicago.

The two answered a number of questions about affordable housing and economic development.

City officials commissioned a study on the Valparaiso’s housing stock to determine what the needs are, expected to be complete later this year. Durnell said he would put that study in a pile with others done over the years.

“We do not need another study. What we need is a more functioning market,” he said, which could be accomplished with revised zoning to make constructing smaller homes easier, and an advisory commission to make recommendations going forward.

Durnell called the city’s housing market “dysfunctional,” and said the pathway to providing housing for single people and the elderly includes the assistance of nonprofits for volunteer labor and grants.

“We need to stop incentivizing only the higher end,” he said.

Murphy said there’s “no consensus” on what affordable housing means and cited the need for the pending study. The city, he added, already offers a breadth of housing stock, including subsidized residences, moderately priced homes and more expensive homes.

“We need to take out emotion and make data driven decisions,” he said.

He added later that 40% of recent home sales were for residences under $200,000, which is above the national average, and 40% of the city’s housing stock is apartments.

“It’s a very diverse housing market, and I think it’s been part of the success of our city,” Murphy said.

As far as the city’s business climate, Durnell said the city is wasting time “hunting elephants” to bring in in new businesses when studies show the greatest growth potential is for businesses with 10 to 100 employees.

Murphy, the city’s former economic development director, said there is a “silver bullet” for business growth that includes tax abatements, tax increment finance districts and façade grants, all of which the city has used successfully.

Also in the vein of economic development, the candidates were asked to share their thoughts on tax abatements.

While Durnell said they are an important tool, he added he is skeptical of their use. The use of tax abatements should be guided by a “but for this incentive, would this investment be made” principle, he said, because he’s seen investments that would have occurred without tax abatements.

“They’re really unfair to other taxing units,” he said.

Tax abatements used responsibly and wisely can foster job growth, Murphy said, adding Valparaiso has seen their benefit.

“We’re not writing you a check. We’re asking you to make an investment,” he said, adding an abatement phases in taxes over a number of years.

Valparaiso has long had an appointed school board, with the city council appointing four of the members and the Center Township Advisory Board handling the fifth appointment.

Murphy, noting he is a product of the Valparaiso schools, said he would retain the appointed board while Durnell wants to see an elected board. The decision would be up to the City Council.

An elected board wouldn’t draw the same caliber of candidates, Murphy said, and they don’t have personal agendas in seeking the post.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said.

Durnell said the city should “definitely” have an elected board and added if the mayor or city council were appointed, it would be chaos.

“This is a democracy. The school budget is enormous,” Durnell said. “We should have an elected school board.”

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.