Goshen College hosts candidate forum, mayoral candidates eye housing issue

 

GOSHEN, Ind. -- Residents of the Maple City got to meet with local candidates running for city offices at Goshen College Thursday evening.

The two mayoral candidates faced off in a forum, discussing topics that matter the most to Goshen voters.

Democrat Gina Leichty and Republican Benjamin Rogers are both Goshen natives; both say they're ready to serve their community, and both believe they're ready to serve as mayor.  

“As we are able to educate and integrate people into our community, we stand the greatest chance of continuing to be a thriving and vibrant community well into the future,” says Mayor Gina Leichty, the Democratic candidate running for Mayor of Goshen.

“I believe in this community; I believe that this community has almost virtually limitless untapped potential, as long as we make sure that government is there to serve the people and to put their needs first,” says Republican candidate running for Mayor of Goshen, Benjamin Rogers.

Leichty, who is the current acting mayor of Goshen after Jeremy Stutsman decided to leave the office this year, says she's ready to keep the momentum of her administration going into the next four years. 

“I felt like it was a great opportunity for me to continue to do the work that I have been doing all these decades in an even deeper and more meaningful way,” Leichty says.

Rogers, who’s worked on several local political campaigns behind the scenes, says he decided to run after realizing the difference he can make as mayor. 

“There’s issues that we’ve been talking about for years that are still on the table from back when I was in high school volunteering on some of these campaigns before I could even vote,” says Rogers.

Both agree the number one issue in Goshen is housing.

Availability and affordability is something they both think affects the city’s ability to attract developers. 

“Housing affordability is basically nil at this point,” believes Rogers. “The amount of supply of housing on the market is estimated to be at least ten years behind, if not more at this point. The issue we’re dealing with is higher property taxes, we’re dealing with higher home prices, and that’s pushing people out of the market.” 

“We did a study recently that indicated Goshen needs at least 5,000 additional houses to accommodate all of the people who are commuting to our city,” Leichty shares. “We have more than 20,000 people commuting to our city, but there’s a demand for at least 5,000 additional houses.” 

Voting information for Elkhart County can be found on the County Clerk’s website.