With only nine days left before voters went to the ballot box, Thursday night's mayoral all-candidates debate in the New Westminster Secondary School library was one of the final opportunities for James Crosty, Francois Nantel, Vance McFadyen and three-term mayor Wayne Wright to put their best cases forward.
And on a night when fireworks were expected, it was a rather tame affair.
Each candidate had an opportunity to tell what they thought their number 1 priority would be if elected.
"Keep taxes within reason," said McFadyen, who said citizens feel overtaxed and he would find a way to make sure any tax increases would be no more than the current regional average.
Nantel said traffic and congestion were the biggest problems the city faces and he would start with something as simple as reopening the right-hand turn lane on Royal Avenue to Sixth Street.
Wright said that while the city has many top priorities, such as relieving traffic congestion, getting the new high school built and figuring out the future of Massey Theatre, his number one priority would be to make sure the expansion of Royal Columbian Hospital happens sooner, rather than later.
Crosty said he would try and get the city's finances under control and he would take a lead role in getting the new high school built, even going so far as to promise to go to Victoria in six months to petition for the money and a final project agreement for a new high school.
"We've waited ten years for a new school. If nothing happens in six months, we're going to the province. Look at Burnaby, where they can build three schools in five years."
Each of the candidates repeatedly tried to hammer home their individual messages of why they would make the best mayor.
Crosty said his citizens' chats have been very successful and he's ben trying to engage younger voters with his Adopt-a-Voter program. Crosty lamented that only 22 per cent of people voted in the last civic election and he wanted to up that number substantially by engaging the public.
McFadyen said he was disappointed that while developers are building new complexes all across the city, current neighbourhood infrastructure has been ignored. In addition, McFadyen questioned why the city lost the Burr Theatre and whether spending $5 million on the Moody Park pool was the best outlay of civic dollars.
Nantel said the city should be petitioning Ottawa for more money and more tools to run the city more efficiently.
And Wright's message was that New Westminster should stay the course with him at the helm.
"I've been here for nine years," said Wright. "You've seen the results. . . . I can promise you I'll keep moving ahead, working with our school board as we have been doing for the last three years.
"You need experience and continuity and that's what I bring."
Perhaps the most contentious moment came when the candidates were asked if the city had adequate safeguards to guard against unscrupulous voters voting multiple times in a civic election.
"It's kind of sad to get a question like this," said Wright. "I don't think this happens very often." Wright added that he would go to city staff immediately and ask if this was a problem, and if so, how to rectify it immediately.
Wright's most high-profile opponent, James Crosty, used that question to launch a mild attack, saying he was "absolutely flabbergasted" that Wright didn't know if multiple voting was a problem.
Crosty said city staff should be cross-referencing voter lists after the election to make sure a problem like this can't happen, or perhaps following the example of neighbouring Richmond, which has a "lockout" system that doesn't allow people to vote multiple times by going to different polling stations.
The four candidates were also put to the test when asked how they would address how their salary and benefits as mayor would be handled.
Wright made no apologies for the current system, saying his job is like "running a $150 million business" and he believes New Westminster is in the "middle of the pack" when it comes to mayor's salaries in the Lower Mainland.
Crosty noted that the current council negotiated an increase to mayor and council salaries in 2008 and added a pension component as well.
McFadyen said the mayor's salary wasn't that important to him and that's not why he's running for the top job.
"I would give back five per cent of my net salary to the charity of my choice and I won't accept an increase until the city is financially stable," said McFadyen.
Nantel had a short and decisive answer: "I would not increase the salary. You get paid good enough."
The mayoral candidates were ably handled by moderator Terry Hewitt, who had them off finished debating in less than an hour.
During the candidates' closing remarks, Wright continued to hammer home his consistency and how he's one of the best-known mayors in the Lower Mainland, while Crosty reiterated his desire to get a new high school built as soon as possible.
The most passionate closings went to the two consensus underdogs in the race.
"I don't have experience, but Wayne Wright, when he started (in 2002), he had no experience either," said Nantel. "I can be a mayor with objective views."
"I do bring a new spirit," said McFadyen. "I'm not in it for the glory. "I'm not in it for the salary. I'm in it for you."
Voters go to the polls on Saturday, Nov. 19.
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