There were no raised voices.
No angry back-and-forth exchanges.
No snappy retorts or agitated comebacks. Well, maybe one comeback.
Viewers tuning in to the first televised mayoral debate Thursday evening instead saw the three leading candidates relatively sticking to their scripts.
For Mayor Alvin Brown, it was about his record the first four years. A pension deal he’s helped broker that City Council is weighing. Education initiatives. Job growth. Downtown investment.
For Lenny Curry, it was the opportunity to promote his four-pillar plan, built around public safety, neighborhoods, economic development and education. It also was the chance to talk about Brown’s record, too. Violent crime that’s risen During Brown’s term. City budgets that have been out of whack. A mayor who allowed a tax increase.
For Bill Bishop, the night was for clearer answers, a little offense and doing what he could to woo enough voters to take a chance on him instead of “the same old thing.”
It started off with one of the hotter topics this election cycle: Should the city’s discrimination policy be expanded to include sexual orientation?
Only Bishop provided a clear response.
Brown largely was quiet on the issue when council was weighing it back in 2012, but answered that “discrimination of any kind is wrong.”
Curry said Jacksonville residents “are not people that discriminate” but if and when discrimination exists, he’ll work with all parties on the issue.
Last up, Bishop took the chance to tell the audience that Brown and Curry didn’t answer the question and that yes, he does support including the language in the ordinance.
“We’re not talking about behavior, we’re talking about people,” Bishop said of his reason to expand the ordinance.
There was a topic they relatively agreed upon. Each was in favor of deepening the Jacksonville harbor, although Bishop said the numbers had to make sense and environmentally, the river couldn’t suffer.
On the pension front, they didn’t agree a bit.
Brown promoted the plan on the table, a deal endorsed by the Jacksonville Civic Council and The Florida Times-Union among others, that would save $1.3 billion over the next 30 years. He blamed council’s lack of action Tuesday on politics, echoing what Retirement Reform Task Force Chair Bill Scheu said this week.
Curry said Brown hadn’t shown leadership on the issue and should have supported a plan brokered four years ago — a reference to a deal put together by former Mayor John Peyton that would have saved $1 billion over decades.
Bishop, one of the City Council members reviewing the current plan, said it has fatal flaws relating to the length of the deal — 10 years instead of three — and out-of-date actuarial assumptions.
Brown was quick on defense.
“I think it’s a great plan,” he responded, adding he has been the only candidate who’s stepped up to find a solution.
There was tax talk, too.
Asked if he regretted his pledge of no tax increases, Brown quickly said no.
Growth in the city and a declining unemployment rate have shown his decision was the right one, he said.
Bishop raised his hand to disagree, calling Brown’s budgets the “epitome of irresponsibility” that would have damaged the city’s quality of life if council had not decided to raise property taxes.
Two years ago, the group approved a 14 percent property tax increase to offset budget holes that would have meant laying off 300 officers, closing libraries and other quality-of-life issues.
Brown didn’t veto the tax increase and built his next budget with the additional revenue.
Curry later took that point to say he appreciated Bishop’s candor, but the councilman is for tax increases — and he isn’t.
“I’m the only conservative in this race,” Curry said.
He then again took aim at Brown’s fiscal shortcomings — using millions of “found” money in the Capital Improvement Plan budgets from years past as an example.
“There he goes again,” Brown quickly responded in a rueful tone, one of the only direct comebacks of the evening.
Another came when Curry was discussing the need to eliminate government barriers for small business.
That led to Bishop turning to Curry and thanking him for endorsing an idea he’s been discussing for a couple of years — an exchange that had both men smiling.
Downtown also was a popular topic, with the candidates asked if they supported Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s plans for the Shipyards and redeveloping the Jacksonville Landing.
Grinning before the question was over, Curry said there were tremendous opportunities. He went on to say part of his plan includes making a public “scorecard” that would show taxpayers what the return on investment is for any project that uses public incentives.
Brown said Downtown always has been a priority, which is why he created the Downtown Investment Authority to lead the way. The group this year had its development plan approved and can now make many decisions without council approval.
Bishop talked about the need for a designed master plan for the area, which led to Brown highlighting the Brooklyn area that’s been revitalized with residential and retail.
But just as quickly, both Bishop and Curry came back to say much of the work for those projects was done before Brown took office.
After almost an hour of questions, each had a last opportunity to make a first impression.
“We are tired of watching the same old thing,” Bishop said.“ … You have an option and I am that option.”
Brown said he kept the promises he made when he was first elected, keeping his word on no taxes, closing the education gap and getting people back to work.
“We are going in the right direction,” he said.
And Curry reiterated he was the only conservative in the race, an idea he promoted throughout the evening and the only one with a written plan on priorities.
In the end, they shook hands and made small talk before heading their separate ways.
They’ll have another chance to make an impression — and an opportunity for those political fireworks — Wednesday, in what will be the second and final televised debate before the March 24 first election. It will be at Jacksonville University.
@writerchapman
(904) 356-2466