My video of Republican at-large candidates threatened to be too big, so I split it up -- Part 1 has the six candidates -- John Crawford, Marty Bender, Bob Morris, Liz Brown, Adam Mildred and Kurt Gutman -- answering the first two questions, and Part 2 covers the other three questions.
On the five questions: 1. The challengers expressed some reservations but were generally supportive of Harrison Square. Incumbent Crawford said he was still making up his mind, but, as we now know, he ended up voting for it. 2. Crawford, naturally, was the most supportive of the tougher smoking ordinance, and Brown was close behind. Bender and Morris wanted some exceptions for people complying with the current ordinance, and Gutman said the city and county missed a chance to work together. 3. All six were generally supportive of at least talking about government reorganization. 4. Priorities for the city -- Crawford: Keep government lean; Bender: The business climate, public safety and infrastructure; Morris: Lower tax burden; Brown: Be a leader in showing why we are a premiere city; Mildred: Clear the way to let businesses create jobs; Gutman: Basic city services. 5. What's the best thing about Fort Wayne? Crawford: The people; Bender: A good place to raise children; Morris: Our rich history and the people; Brown: The people and the city's affordability; Mildred: A great place to work, play and raise kids; Gutman: The unique things in our history.
