Editor’s Note: Submissions appear as the candidates submitted them without editing.Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. If an answer length’s has been edited, it is because the answer extended beyond the predetermined limit. Unabridged answers appear on our Web site www.newsandtribune.com under the Election 2007 link. Except where noted, questionnaires are only being published for contested races.

Bob Hall

• POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Republican

• AGE: 51

• EDUCATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS YOU WISH TO NOTE: “I went to college on a basketball scholarship at Southern Union State Junior College, Alabama and Oakland City College in Indiana. In addition to college, I have received several licenses and classes in connection to my vocation.”

• CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: “Self employed for last 17 years as owner of a mortgage and real estate company. Previous to that I was a Senior Vice President with a financial services company. Mayor of the City of Charlestown 2000-2003.”

• FAMILY NOTES YOU WISH TO SHARE: “I have been married 27 years to my wife Virginia. We have 2 sons; Abraham 26 and Isaac 24, daughter-in-law Sonny, and two daughters Leah 17 and Rachel 15.



1) WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY REASON FOR SEEKING THIS POSITION?

“Clark County is seeing unprecedented growth and expansion yet Charlestown is not benefiting from it. We are the only community in Southern Indiana who has decreased in size. In addition we have double our debt and have received little to show for it. The city needs to be re-opened to growth and good development. We must lower the cost of developing in Charlestown. We will lower permit fees and eliminate paying an inspector on a commission basis.

“The City’s future is in becoming a great bedroom community with convenience shopping, great schools, superior public safety, affordable living, fairness, honesty and a strong sense of community.

“Charlestown needs to get back to building a future for our kids and grandkids. If elected, I look forward to helping make that happen.”



2) IF ELECTED, WHICH ISSUE IS YOUR PRIORITY TO ADDRESS FIRST AND WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTED SOLUTION?

“Lowering the cost of living and raising a family in Charlestown, while increasing the quality of life in the process.

“We will do it the same why we did the last time. In my last term we reduced property taxes over 45% and kept cost low while increasing city services both in quality and quantity. We also created a strong sense of community through volunteerism and community events. Charlestown has some of the best people in world and working with them we will build a strong community.”



3) WHAT SPECIFICALLY DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM YOUR OPPONENT IN THIS RACE?

“I think there are several things.

“First, when I was Mayor I did not see everything as a republican or democrat issue, but I saw and still see things as a citizen of Charlestown issue.

“Second, I think our vision of our Community is much different. I believe Charlestown’s future is growth and watching out for the working families. Raising taxes and rates is easy. Coming up with solutions without raising cost takes innovation, hard work, and some time a lot of prayer for help. We obtained 6.5 million in grants and were constantly looking for ways to keep cost down.

“Third, I believe that being Mayor is a matter of leading. You must work along side your employees, your volunteers, and those who give so much to the community. You can’t just show up at the end of the work for a photo and take credit. I never ask people to do any thing that I wasn’t willing to do including picking up garbage. People will do more and be happier about doing it if their leader is working with them.

“Fourth, I am willing to stand up and work hard to protect the future of our city. I believe there was a different feeling about Charlestown 4 years ago both in and outside the City. There was a civic pride. The next four years will determine the direction of this community for the next 30. It is a critical election.

“Lastly, We need to put the future of the youth front and center,. We must as a community invest in more for or youth to do. That is what spawned Founders Day, Light Up Charlestown, Trunk or Treat on the Square, Etc. You must a wide variety of events that give our kids great memories of their hometown. Because as we will discuss later, River Ridge will grow and bring many opportunities and we want our kids and grandkids to have a desire to raise their family here too.”



READER SUBMITTED QUESTIONS:

• Identify the most pressing challenges facing Charlestown’s water system. What did you do to address them during your term as mayor? What plan do you have to continue any improvements you have started?

“Our water system serves the public well and the quality of the water itself in good. The lines however are old and long term plans of replacement is needed. It is like any other system until it is substanially renovated the will be challenges.

“When I was Mayor 2000-2003 We had to repair over 50% of our fire HYDRANt. We made many upgrades to the water system, changed meters, read the meters each month to in sure accuracy in billing and replaced miles of waterlines which reduced water leaks by over 400 a year. we installed many values to help prepare for future planned improvement. All without raising rates. And if elected we will continue to renovate and update the system.”



• How can Charlestown’s water and sewer rates be lowered and the system still be improved? “I don’t mind paying a higher bill if the system is going to be improved and the brown water goes away. I fear lowering the rates will not improve the system but only continue the same quality of water that I have received for years.”

“The question SUGGESTS that you cannot do both and I don’t believe that. When I was mayor we were able to accomplish a great many things while still lower the cost of living. it took hard work, innovation and leadership to do it.

“So we will restructure the debt and prorities, while lowering the cost and still make improvements.”



• If the city council is made up of a majority from the opposite party as yours, will you be able to work with them? What will you do to prevent political?

“I am the only one, between the two of us running for mayor, that had that situation. in 2000-2003 I had a city council that was entirely of the opposite party. We got a lot accomplished. I believe once elected you serve all the Citizens not a politicial party.

“If everyone can keep their personal agenda and interest aside and focus On what’s right for the citizens then things usally work out. However, if elected officals cannot, they should not be elected, because it hurts the city and the taxpayers when personal or political agendas become the focal point of the city’s business.”



• How will the development of River Ridge affect the future of Charlestown? How do you plan for these changes?

“River ridge is and will be an asset to all of southern Indiana for many years ahead. As it developes there will be great opportunites for employment.

“The city needs to be re-opened to growth and good development. We must lower the cost of developing in Charlestown. We will lower permit fees and eliminate the paying commissions to an inspection. That is just a bad Ideal on many levels.

“The City’s future is in becoming a great bedroom community with convenience shopping, great schools, superior public safety, affordable living, fairness, honesty and a strong sense of community spirit. By accomplish these things we will be able to benefit from the opportunities of River Ridge.”



• What is local government’s role in overseeing development? Should a mayoral candidate accept campaign contributions from developers? Have you accepted any such contributions? Who has made the contributions?

“They Establish ordianaces that govern the guidelines for land use. This can be a great protection to property owners and lays out the future of what a community will be comprized of. Helping to bring the business and developments that compliment your community.

“There is no law restricting a Mayoral candidate from receiving donations from developers.

“Yes, The members of Kbj attended a breakfast in the spring and bought tickets. I do not believe to date (Oct. 5th) we have receive any other monies from any other developer.”

Mike Hall

• POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democrat

• AGE: 55

• EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS: I graduated from Charlestown High School in 1969, and then received my Bachelor’s Degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. I thereafter obtained my Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana University. I have also received Computer Training from Purdue University, Leadership Training from the National Marketing Education Association, and I attended the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Mayor’s Training and workshops.

• CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: I had various summer jobs while in high school and college. While in Bloomington, I did advertising sales for the Indiana University Student Newspaper. When I graduated, I took a position with Approach 13-30, an Advertising Agency. I have also had management positions at Mazda Motors and Hall Brother’s Auto Parts. I taught Marketing at Charlestown High School for 30 years.

• FAMILY NOTES: My wife, Debbie, is the Director of Surgical Services at Norton’s Audubon Hospital. Our oldest daughter, Kristin, is a RN Charge Nurse at Norton Downtown in Louisville, and is married to Jeremy Pickerell. She and Jeremy gave Debbie and me our first grandchild, Austin, who is now 19 months old, and they are now expecting their second child in May. Our daughter, Kaelin, is a Unit Supervisor at Humana, and she and her husband, Aaron Thacker, expect their first child in May. Our oldest son, Jonathan, graduated from Indiana University and is employed by the Indiana Democratic Party. Our youngest son, Bradley, is a sophomore on the Dean’s List at the University of Louisville.



1) What is your primary reason for seeking this position?

“I love Charlestown and want to see it prosper. I was born and raised in Charlestown and my wife and I have raised our four children here, so I want to keep improving this great City for generations to come. I am running for re-election because I want to ensure that the Comprehensive Plan developed by my Administration is completed. This plan consists of all the necessary tools to guarantee the City’s growth and ability to attract economic development, including state-of-the-art water and sewer systems, affordable and safe housing, and recreation facilities for our citizens. Simply put, I want to make Charlestown the best place to live, work, and raise a family in Clark County. We must be prepared for the growth boom that is coming to our City with the commercial development of the Army Ammunition Plant and the construction of the East End Bridge. I have composed the plan to enable smart growth and infrastructure renovation, which will prepare our community for this boom.”



2) If elected, which issue is your priority to address first and what is your suggested solution?

“During my current term as Mayor, the City’s water system has been my top priority. This will be my top priority during my second term. The construction plan is in place to replace our water treatment facility, and we have secured 100% of the financing for this endeavor. The completion of the new water storage tank on Highway 403 was the first phase of the project. This will give Charlestown a full day’s supply of processed water in the event of an emergency and will also improve our water pressure problems. Having this water storage in place, which was not the case before I became Mayor, will allow us to begin flushing our lines of the built-up mineral debris that cause the brown water in our system. All of the funding associated with these improvements has been secured through grants, economic development funds, and rate adjustments, which means that there won’t be any new water rate increases to cover the cost of these projects. My Administration has been proactive in creating the plan, securing financing, and working to complete the projects to make Charlestown economically viable to attract new businesses and industry.”



3) What specifically distinguishes you from your opponent in this race?

“Here are the most specific things that distinguish me from my opponent: Lifelong resident of Charlestown: I am a lifelong resident of Charlestown and I understand the people’s needs. My education background and the experience I have gained from working with people qualify me to lead our City. Fiscally responsible. The one thing that distinguishes me from my opponent is that my Administration has been fiscally responsible. I have made sure that the funding of projects is secured before they have been started. This is contradictory to my opponent, who started projects with no funds or plans to pay for them, which explains the fiscal deficit of over $4 million I inherited when I took office. A good example of this is the sidewalk project, which was $400,000 under budgeted when I came into office, and there was no plan to fund its completion. Therefore, we had to save enough money to fund the sidewalk project, which I am proud to say will begin very soon. The same holds true for the construction of our sewer plant, which cost the City over $5.5 million. However, my opponent had only $2.4 million available to pay for it. Our sewer rates had to be raised to cover the bond that had been issued to pay for the new sewer plant or the bonding company would not issue the bonds. The previous administration had only paid the interest on the bond, thus raising the City’s debt. Stand up to developers. We have stood up to developers that have expected Charlestown residents to pay for their projects, while my opponent obligated the citizen’s tax dollars to pay for the projects and line the pockets of these developers. Open government. We have conducted business in the open and followed all Federal, State, and Local Laws. There have been no “Back Room” deals and no one has been given special treatment. We have been fair and honest with everyone and we have conducted business with an open door policy.”





READER SUBMITTED QUESTIONS:

Identify the most pressing challenges facing Charlestown’s water system. What did you do to address them during your term as mayor? What plan do you have to continue any improvements you have started?

“Improving Charlestown’s water system has been my number one priority. Brown water is the most pressing problem in Charlestown’s water system. While there are many contributing factors that cause this brown water, the main problem is that our current treatment facility is not adequately equipped to filter many of the minerals. A new water filtering plant must be constructed to remove these minerals, and I have the plan in place to assure that this is accomplished. Also, Charlestown needed a new water tower to improve the pressure to allow us to flush our lines. The new water storage tank has been completed and we are now in the process of flushing all the water distribution lines throughout the City. When I took office, the City had less than 230,000 gallons in our hospital storage tank, even though we use over 800,000 gallons of water per day in our system. We did not have the capacity to provide water to our citizens in the event that the pumps at the water treatment plant go down. I have also had the City’s water system connected to River Ridge’s water system, which will give us an additional water source in case of an emergency. When I took office, Charlestown was facing losing one of our largest employers in the industrial park because the City was not able to provide them with a pressurized water supply that was necessary to continue for them to do business. Not only was my administration able to plan for their needs, we also helped them facilitate a plant expansion which provided new job opportunities for our citizens. The improvements to our water system will not take place over night, but we must get this problem fixed to attract new businesses and industry. I am the first Mayor to create a comprehensive plan to address these problems and secure the financing to complete these problems.”



How can Charlestown’S water and sewer rates be lowered and the system still be improved? “I don’t mind paying a higher bill if the system is going to be improved and the brown water goes away. I fear lowering the rates will not improve the system but only continue the same quality of water that I have received for years.

“It is not feasible for the water rates to be lowered and the system still be improved. The water rates had not been raised since 1988, yet the cost of producing and distributing water has increased by more than 150% in that time span. The previous administration subsidized the water department with the hospital money, which was meant to be used for emergencies. My opponent depleted this fund by using over half of the money in it during his four years in office. If this routine would have continued, Charlestown would not have any money for emergencies. The water rates are now structured to pay for the water system improvements, which are required by State Law, the IURC, and the bonding company. When I came into office, the water department was losing money at an outrageous rate. My opponent used the capital trust fund money (the hospital fund) to pay for water utility operations. The water department was neglected for too long. I wish the rates could have been increased incrementally over the years, but that didn’t happen before I got elected and I inherited a huge problem. Even though rates were increased more than we would have liked, Charlestown still has one of the lowest rates in Southern Indiana.”



If the city council is made up of a majority from the opposite party as yours, will you be able to work with them? What will you do to prevent political?

“I will be able to work with the council regardless of each member’s political affiliation, so long as the council shares my devotion to improving the City. When goals are set and funding approved in our budgets, things will get done. The way that City government is structured, checks and balances exist, and in the event of differences of opinion, solutions with compromises can be found. Again, the main point is to do what is best for our city and what is best for each representative’s respective district as determined by the council.”



How will the development of River Ridge affect the future of Charlestown? How do you plan for these changes?

“In order to plan for the City’s future, all of the necessary infrastructure improvements must be in place. River Ridge’s development will be a huge factor in Charlestown’s growth, as has been proven in the past. We need to prepare our City for the businesses and residents that will soon be looking to locate within our community. I currently sit on the River Ridge Board of Directors as Charlestown’s representative and I am there to represent Charlestown’s interests and ensure that the plan for River Ridge is cohesive with the City’s Comprehensive plan. With my direction, plans are currently in place to begin development at the Charlestown end of the facility. With the City of Charlestown partnering with River Ridge, we expect big things for our future.”



What is local government’s role in overseeing development? Should a mayoral candidate accept campaign contributions from developers? Have you accepted any such contributions? Who has made the contributions?

“Local government should oversee developers to ensure smart growth for their communities and to make sure that all federal, state, and local guidelines are followed. Every developer should be treated the same and held accountable by the same laws. Unlike my opponent, who has a developer as his major contributor, I have had a few local developers support my campaign and all are reported on my campaign financial reports. All developers are treated alike in terms of following the ordinances, local rules, and state laws. All development proposals are presented in an open meeting to the proper boards, researched by our engineers, department heads and attorney, and voted on. No back room deals have been made during my administration. Every decision is made at public meetings with input from the community.”