The candidates for the Salt Lake City Council seat in District 6, Roger McConkie and J.T. Martin, answered questions on a variety of topics from the environment to city liquor laws during a debate Tuesday.
The debate, hosted by the Hinckley Institute of Politics, highlighted the candidates' different styles of debating and views on key issues.
To cut down on air pollution and help the environment, McConkie said he would encourage mass transportation. He outlined plans to extend TRAX lines to combat pollution from cars.
Martin countered by saying that increasing public transportation is expensive and focused more on encouraging the public to buy hybrid cars and improve the public transportation Utah already has.
When asked if they would change the liquor laws in the city, both Democratic candidates agreed change is needed.
Martin focused on visitors to the city and the diverse people who, he said, are pushing for the change. Main Street should be a safe place for people to go where there are more services available to them, such as taxi services, he said.
McConkie said businesses should have more say about liquor laws.
"It should be totally up to the private property how and when they should serve liquor," McConkie said. "And we have to change nonsensical laws that aren't realistic."
Martin said he had goals he wanted to accomplish within the first 180 days in office, including issues regarding the pollution problem and reducing carbon output.
McConkie said his top priority would be affordable housing and poverty.
"There are things our city can and will do regarding poverty," he said. "Issues surrounding the homeless and Pioneer Park, payday lending…these are not the issue, but symptoms of the underlying issue of poverty in our city."
Students in the audience also had the opportunity to ask the candidates questions. Many focused on the development of downtown and encouraging small businesses.
"It's going to be a difficult thing," Martin said. "We want downtown to be a great gathering place for the community, and as a small business owner myself, I understand the difficulties small businesses have against competing larger stores."
Martin and his wife own the Immigration Market, a small grocery store in Salt Lake City, and have various ties to other businesses which his opponent, McConkie, was quick to point out.
"If you look at who is supporting J.T., you will see more developers are more on his side than mine," said McConkie, who works as a lawyer. "I don't think those developers have our interests as their first priority."
"Big business is not in my genes," Martin replied. Because he knows a lot of developers, Martin said he knows how they work and believes he can work with them to help preserve smaller businesses.
"I don't think there was a clear winner to the debate," said Dan Larsen, a senior majoring in political science. "I mean, they have different styles, with (McConkie being) more grounded and (Martin) a little more pie-in-the sky."
Although Larsen does not live in the district and will not be voting for the candidates, he said he learned a lot more about the candidates from the debate.
"I didn't really know much about them before the debate, but it really highlighted the dichotomy between the two candidates," Larsen said.
McConkie and Martin will compete in the general election Nov. 6.
