Alachua City Commission candidates debate at third and final forum

Tuesday night were not divided by the commission seat for which they are running.

Candidates for commission seat two – Duane Helle, Dollean Perkins and Robert Wilford – debated alongside commission seat three candidates – Ben Boukari and Michael Canney.

About 30 people were in attendance to watch the candidates field 18 questions over the two-hour debate.  Each candidate had the option of using three one-minute rebuttals during the debate.

The race between Boukari and Canney was clearly the more contentious of the two races. Both Boukari and Canney used all three one-minute rebuttals, while Helle and Perkins didn’t use any of their optional rebuttals. Wilford used one rebuttal, but it was merely to expand on a point he had already made.

The biggest issue of disagreement between Boukari and Canney was over the multiple lawsuits the city has faced. Canney, who has filed three lawsuits costing the city $250,000, defended the lawsuits he has been a part of.

“I have never been a plaintiff in a lawsuit that involved financial gain for myself,” Canney said. “The lawsuits I have been involved in have been to hold government accountable, follow the constitution and follow the laws of the state.”

Boukari responded by calling the lawsuits “a crime against democracy.”

“He may not get financial gain, but you taxpayers get a financial loss,” Boukari said.

Another big divide between Boukari and Canney is their view of the Wal-Mart Supercenter that may soon come to Alachua. Boukari said he is in favor of bringing Wal-Mart and other retail to Alachua to make the city “self-sustainable.” Canney said he didn’t think big-box stores like Wal-Mart were a good fit for a small city like Alachua.

Boukari and Canney did find common ground on a few issues: both were against the GRU biomass plant, both were supportive of cultural arts for the city’s youth and both saw youth community centers as a way to curb crime.

Helle, Perkins and Wilford did distinguish themselves on some issues.

The three candidates had different views on the future of the City of Alachua Transit System (CATS). Wilford and Perkins were in favor of the program and were interested in expanding it.

Perkins said, “I really would like to see soon CATS have a way of hooking up with Gainesville Regional Transit.”

Wilford said he would also like to see it connect out to Turkey Creek.

Helle said he was against the program because the cost is too much to justify.

“It’s a lot of money to spend for not enough usage,” Helle said.

The candidates also disagreed on the Hometown Democracy Amendment, which would allow the city to overrule certain county rules by a citizen vote. Helle argued against the amendment because he thought it could potentially erode property rights. Perkins was also against the amendment because she said the current method of representation works fine.

Wilford said he is in favor of the amendment because it could be a very powerful tool for the city to overrule certain county decisions at home.

With the election two weeks away, the candidates are now in the closing stretch of their campaigns. On April 12, Mayor Bonnie Burgess and Commissioner Jean Calderwood will participate in the final commission meeting of their terms. The two winning candidates will then be thrust into the roles as commissioners at the following meeting scheduled for April 26.