Candidates for the State College School Board, Borough Council and mayoral positions held a forum last night at the Mount Nittany Middle School, 656 Brandywine Dr., to discuss issues for concerned citizens in preparation for next week's election.

The League of Women's Voters of Centre Country sponsored and moderated the event. Questions were submitted by the nearly 60 people in attendance and then addressed to the candidates, who sat at a table on stage in the school auditorium. Each candidate was given one minute to answer each question and given two minutes for their closing statements.

Running for the positions on the School Board are Dorothea Stahl, and incumbents Donna Queeny, Connie Martin, Eric Barron and Lou Ann Evans. All were in agreement that school vouchers would weaken the public school system by taking students and resources away from public education.

"Taking money away from a fading school would not make a fading school any better," Stahl said.

They also agreed that racial and sexual diversity be recognized in its faculty and students, stressing that discrimination would not be tolerated.

"It's important to prepare them for the diverse nation and diverse society we live in," Evans said.

The following forum for mayoral candidates only brought two entrants to the table, Jeffrey Kern, a Republican, and incumbent Bill Welch, a Democrat.

Welch and Kern both agreed that regional consolidation would be beneficial to Centre County, stating the role of the mayor in the process is detrimental.

"I think the mayor needs to take an advocacy with other townships in terms of regional consolidation," Kern said.

A question was raised in regard to each candidate's position on the mayor's power to veto. Both agreed that it is a matter not to be taken lightly.

"I think the mayor has a veto that should be used incredibly gingerly," Kern said, adding that its use should be to call citizen's attention to a particular matter that Borough Council cannot resolve immediately.

Welch, however did not make any promises he felt he couldn't keep.

"I don't do predictions," he said. "I'm not going to predict what I might or might not do. It's too early."

Only five candidates for seats available in the Borough Council were in attendance: Mary Barnes, a Democrat, and Jim DeLong, a Republican, and incumbents Democrats Elizabeth Goreham and Janet Knauer, and Republican James Meyer.

Question raised in concern of a tax increase brought uniform uncertainty to each candidate's responses. Knauer states that it is too soon to decide on any tax increases at this point because too many projects are in the balance, such as the future of Schlow Library, public transportation and the rising costs of police pension plans.

Tax concerns and student apprehension of fear of racism and discrimination brought consensus to the table of candidates. The possibility of a historic district, however, raised dissention between Barnes and Meyer.

"I don't think our buildings should have more rights than our property owners," Meyer said.