The need for patience squared off against the need for change at Monday night’s Lawrence City Commission candidate forum.

The six candidates sounded two distinct messages, particularly when it came to the city’s efforts to attract new jobs to the community. Half the field – Commissioners David Schauner, Boog Highberger and candidate Carey Maynard-Moody – said the city had done fine in attracting new jobs. The other half – candidates Mike Dever, Rob Chestnut and James Bush – continued to campaign on the need for better economic development results.

At a candidate forum put on by the North Lawrence Improvement Association, the two incumbents in the race promoted the work the city has done in attracting jobs.

Highberger and Schauner touted numbers compiled by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce that show Lawrence job growth to be in line or above state averages and the averages posted by the Topeka and Kansas City metro areas.

“We’re in a competitive marketplace, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job here,” Schauner told the crowd of about 30 people who gathered at Odd Fellows Hall. “It takes awhile to turn a ship around. I would ask everyone to be patient while we turn it around.”

But other candidates said the current City Commission didn’t place enough value on new business investment in the community.

Bush said he thought it was important for people to realize that the amount of taxes that API Foils – an East Hills Business Park firm that is considering a Lawrence expansion – would pay on its $4.5 million project would be the equivalent of the taxes on about 20 new $200,000 homes, according to his calculations.

City commissioners last week unanimously approved a 55 percent tax abatement for the project, but Chestnut said the City Commission also questioned the use of tax abatements for future projects.

“I think there are questions about what type of commitment this commission has to existing businesses in the future,” Chestnut said.

Highberger, though, countered that commissioners were appropriately questioning the need to give tax breaks to companies.

“These aren’t kids that are going to take their marbles and go home if we hurt their feelings,” Highberger said. “They are businesses, and I think we have an obligation to ask those questions to protect the public’s tax dollars.”

On other subjects raised during the forum:

¢ All the candidates said they supported pursuing a possible purchase of the vacant Farmland Industries plant on the eastern edge of Lawrence for use as a 400-acre business park.

¢ All of the candidates said they wanted to look for ways to address North Lawrence flooding problems, but stopped short of saying they could immediately fund $15 million worth of improvements called for in a city-sponsored stormwater plan.

The election is April 3. Voters will select candidates to fill three at-large seats.