City Commission candidates are handing out grades on how the community is performing on a variety of issues ranging from wages to recreational facilities.

Candidates gave the rankings as part of a questionnaire that the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce asked city and school board candidates to complete.

The questionnaire asked candidates to rate 16 characteristics the chamber has listed as part of a community vision it is promoting.

“We think this is a good way to take candidates away from any type of specific campaign platform they may have generated and instead ask them to put their focus on the broader picture for a moment,” said Lavern Squier, the chamber’s president and CEO.

Candidates were asked to grade how well the city is realizing each part of the vision by assigning a grade of excellent, good, fair or poor. Here’s a summary of how the candidates who responded to the questionnaire ranked various issues:

¢ James Bush gave his highest rankings of excellent to community aesthetics, quality health care and quality education. The lowest ranking he gave to any issue was fair. Issues he ranked fair: well-developed and maintained infrastructure; satisfactory wages and incomes; balanced tax base; and a forward-looking, positive community spirit.

“Some of our community leaders and business owners are incredibly positive – demonstrating the best of who we are as a city,” Bush said. “But something is lacking in the tone of some elected leaders who tend to talk the community down.”

¢ Mike Dever gave an excellent rating to quality education and opportunities for arts and culture. He gave his lowest ranking of poor to the issue of a sound balanced tax base. He said residential taxes are too heavily relied upon by the community and more efforts need to be made to increase the city’s industrial and commercial tax base.

¢ Rob Chestnut rated these as excellent: diverse and engaged citizens; strong neighborhoods; quality education; arts and culture. He ranked as poor the following categories: affordable housing and balanced tax base.

“I believe the lack of job growth and expansion of the tax base is the one biggest threat to Lawrence in the future,” Chestnut wrote. “If we do not solve this issue, the future of our city as we have all come to value it, will be at risk.”

¢ Jake Davis ranked as excellent: diverse and engaged citizens; community spirit; and respect for Lawrence’s history. He ranked the issue of satisfactory wages and income as poor.

“Though it is possible to make a living in Lawrence, the jobs currently available are disappointing,” Davis wrote. “Each year thousands of graduates must leave Lawrence to find competitive wages.”

¢ Commissioner Boog Highberger ranked as excellent: respect for city’s history; community aesthetics; quality education; arts and culture. Highberger ranked the category of wages and salaries as poor.

Highberger said Lawrence wages continue to rank below the statewide average.

Squier said the chamber did not receive responses from the other four candidates by the chamber’s deadline. Squier said as those responses were received they would be sent to chamber members.

Other candidates for the three at-large seats on the City Commission are Commissioner David Schauner, Carey Maynard-Moody, Sam Fields and Michael Limburg.

Schauner said he completed the questionnaire and has sent it to the chamber. Maynard-Moody was out of town and unavailable on Thursday. Fields said he had computer problems and was completing the questionnaire. Limburg said he was in the process of completing the survey.

School board candidates also responded to the questionnaire. Complete responses for the city and school candidates can be found by clicking here.