http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/11/12/news/111308fzmayoraldebate.txt
The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Final Two Mayoral Candidates Spar Off in Debate
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE - Regular town hall meetings in various locations including the university campus and an office of diversity development were just two of the ideas offered by Lioneld Jordan, a candidate for Fayetteville mayor, during a debate with incumbent Dan Coody on Wednesday night.
In his third term Coody would try to add an event coordinator to the city staff to help manage and grow festivals and other events.
He'd also grow the city's green-tech economy and work to build a new animal shelter on the city-owned property that formerly housed the Tyson Mexican Original plant. Jordan recently proposed selling the property to give city employees a cost-of-living raise.
A cost-of-living raise is so important to Jordan that he would propose a freeze on raising salaries for employees earning more than $80,000 a year until all the other employees saw an increase.
"I can assure you, some of the cuts will come from the top down," Jordan, an alderman, said in a debate hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington County.
These were just some of the new ideas to come out of the mayor's race, which is entering its final stretch with a runoff election set for Nov. 25. The race began months ago and included six candidates. Those other four candidates were in the standing-room only crowd Wednesday night in the city hall council chambers. Sami Sutton, Walt Eilers and Adam Fire Cat are all supporting Jordan. Steve Clark, who came in third in the Nov. 4 general election, has not offered an endorsement.
Coody focused much of his comments on what he has brought to Fayetteville during the last eight years, zeroing in on growing the city's "quality of life" through expanded trails and art and music programs.
"Fayetteville is in very good shape," Coody said behind his lectern, dressed in a dark suit and baby blue tie. "Making Fayetteville a livable community is an economic development strategy."
And to no one's surprise, both candidates talked up fulfilling Fayetteville's sustainability mantra.
When it came to a question about transportation, Jordan proposed a boulevard circling the city. It would be a tree-lined boulevard with bike lanes and sidewalks. But his strategy would also include public transit through buses and eventually trains.
"We also need to work on our light-rail plan," Jordan said behind his lectern, dressed in a dark blue suit and red tie. "Regional transportation has not addressed alternative transportation. And that is something I will do as mayor."
Coody dismissed the boulevard idea as too expensive, saying it would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars."
"We have to address light rail, but that is a long-, long-term solution," Coody said. "We have to have a holistic approach."
One of the audience questions concerned unionizing city employees. Jordan was vehement in his position that he does not plan the unionize city workers. Jordan was past president of his union organization at the University of Arkansas and one of Jordan's top contributors was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a labor union with chapters at the state and federal levels, which combined contributed $4,000 to his campaign.
"Let's stress that right here, right now," Jordan said in his position to not push for unionization, and claimed this was an allegation started by Coody.
"That's a 'fairy tale,'" Jordan snipped.
"If you're good to the workers, they do not think about unionizing," Jordan added.
For his part, Coody does not support unionizing city employees either.
"We pay our employees very well," Coody said. "Our taxpayers have to be protected as well as our employees."
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