LAKEVILLE — Attracting new businesses to town, keeping costs down and the town’s involvement in the former Lakeville Hospital site were among the subjects discussed by select board hopefuls during a candidates forum held March 24 at the Lakeville Senior Center. 

Three candidates _ incumbent Evagelia “Lia’’ Fabian and challengers Paul Hunt and Christopher Plonka are vying for two seats on the board. Incumbent Brynna Donahue is not seeking re-election. 

The event was hosted by Town Moderator Kate Goodfellow with help from Joanne Upham. The candidates were asked a series of questions written by the public.

One issue was the recent request by Rhino Capital, the developer that has proposed housing at the former Lakeville Hospital site, that the town support a grant to help with the costs of cleaning up the site.

Fabian said she has “zero interest’’ in the town having any ownership of the site. “I just don’t want to take that risk,’’ she said. 

Hunt noted that “nothing good has happened at the site’’ since it closed in the early 1990s. “Something has to happen’’ there, he said. At times, he stated, “some risk has to be taken to get something done.’’

Plonka said he would support “doing all we can to help Rhino to have success with the project’’ but with a stipulation that the town would not have ownership.

On the ways to attract business to town, Plonka said that “commercial development that fits with the character of the town is needed.’’  He said the town needs to look at agreements with Middleboro and Taunton to bring in water to boost infrastructure and help ensure growth. 

Fabian said that “residential taxation isn’t going to be enough to sustain the town’’ financially. She encouraged more meetings with residents to see “what people do and don’t want to see.’’ 

She noted that the Select Board has agreed to form an Economic Development Committee to study the issue. “The worst thing is to try to bring things here that people don’t want.’’ 

Hunt said the property off Freetown Street where an affordable housing development is proposed would have been “ideal’’ for a business with direct access to the nearby Route 140 exit but “that ship has sailed.’’ 

He noted that the town has “empty storefronts’’ and with online shopping, “I don’t know that another plaza’’ is going to be the answer.

Candidates were asked how to keep Lakeville affordable.

Increasing revenue is the key, Plonka said. Seeking grants is one possibility, he said. He said there is “not a lot of fat’’ in the budget to trim.

Fabian said one possibility, although she acknowledged it might not “sit well’’ with some, would be to look at bolstering the ambulance service. “More calls and more mutual aid means more money.’’ But, she added, she would “never want our own care to suffer.’’

Hunt said expenses will not go down but “the only thing we can hope is to slow costs going up.’’ He said that he supported a “zero-based budget,’’ which requires all expenses to be justified. “We have to tighten our belts in the coming year and to be careful with our money and where it goes.’’

Town elections will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Monday April 7 at the Loon Pond Lodge at Ted Williams Camp, 28 Precinct St.