While the six remaining City Council candidates spent most of Monday night’s debate agreeing with each other, they demonstrated their differences and stances on key issues such as the lawsuit between the city and the Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance and the proposed Winslow Way reconstruction.

South Ward candidate Tim Jacobsen attempted to distance himself from his opponent, Kirsten Hytopoulos, by saying that he is for the Winslow Way project and she is against it. He also spoke to the candidates’ different approaches to public participation.

Jacobsen said he chose to serve the community by participating in local institutions such as the Boys and Girls Club and as a member of the city’s Salary Commission. His opponent has chosen to serve the community in a more confrontational manner, he said.

Hytopoulos responded that she isn’t attempting to create confrontation, but she will always speak the truth. And she believes things need to be different in the city.

“I have concerns that a lot needs to change at City Hall, and I believe my opponent believes we only have a little tweaking to do, but overall things are OK,” she said.

She said she would like to see Winslow Way reconstruction begin on time, but she still has concerns about funding.

Dee DuMont, who previously owned and operated a business on Winslow Way, said the lack of a solution for funding is causing a deep rift within the community. She continues to call for a vote on the project. DuMont said her cerebral decision-making process will help the council more than the approach taken by her opponent, Debbi Lester.

Lester, who has made her support of the Winslow Way reconstruction known, said her involvement in community and relationships she’s formed in those situations will aid her ability to lead.

“I’ve not been on the sidelines simply writing letters and criticizing the government,” she said. “I’ve rolled up my sleeves and gotten in there. Doing the work is how you learn to lead.”

North Ward candidates Bob Scales and Debbie Vancil, who served on the council together for four years, said they acknowledge similar problems and solve them in different ways. Vancil said she focuses on a policy’s impact on the community, with which she has bonded during her time on the council.

“My commitment to the community runs deep,” she said. “And it’s because of my commitment to my community that I don’t feel that we can make forward strides without having community input in government,” she said.

On Winslow Way, Vancil said infrastructure repair is necessary, but the city can’t pay for anything beyond that.

Scales agreed that he and his opponent identified similar problems when serving on the council together. But what sets them apart is style and the manner in which they get things done, he said.

Scales said the Winslow Tomorrow project had not returned on its investment. He said the city needs to return strictly to the infrastructure of the project, and then get all the funding in place.

Though not directly related to Winslow Way, the ongoing saga of the Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance lawsuit against the city over misuse of utility funds, which could later impact the Winslow Way project, was addressed by the candidates at Monday’s debate.

The majority of the candidates declined to express a specific opinion on the validity of the lawsuit, but all of them cited the alliance’s right to bring action against the city.

Jacobsen said that while every citizen does have the right to legally challenge its government, sometimes the people should exercise the ability not to.

“It’s like two people playing chicken, and there’s a lot of innocent bystanders,” he said.

Scales, who is a lawyer, said suits like these come about when citizens feel they have been excluded from the political process.

“When people do file lawsuits it’s because people are not being heard and their concerns aren’t being addressed,” he said.

Vancil, who declined to comment on the specifics of the suit because of her seat on council, said settlement is of the utmost importance to the city, so it can secure bond funding for utility projects.

But, Vancil said, the practice of borrowing from utility funds absolutely has to stop, which drew applause from the approximately 100 people in attendance.

DuMont, the Central Ward candidate, said the alliance has every right to confront its government, and any thought that they don’t goes against the most basic rights given to every citizen in this country.

“To imply that this is not OK is to question the very foundation of America,” she said.

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What’s Next?

The candidates meet for the next forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the American Legion Hall. Rep. Christine Rolfes will act as moderator of the event, which also will have a question-and-answer format. Look for live blogging coverage of the forum here at BainbridgeReview.com. Also check out introductions from each candidate on the website.