The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Will Halsey

Regulating MayFest activities, reviewing Syracuse University-area housing and improving inner-city education topped the list of issues that Syracuse mayoral candidates discussed at a debate in the Erwin First United Methodist Church Wednesday night.

All three mayoral candidates attended the debate. In the Nov. 3 general election, Democratic nominee Stephanie Miner will face two opponents: Steve Kimatian, the Republican and Independent parties' candidate, and Otis Jennings, the Conservative party candidate.

Jennings said he attended this year's MayFest, an annual end-of-the-year block party thrown by SU students, and wants to work with SU's Department of Public Safety and the Syracuse Police Department to check if the partiers are 21 years old. He would also enforce a zero-drug tolerance policy at the event. Afterwards, Jennings suggested a clean-up team would go through the neighborhood. He did not comment on who would comprise the team.

Miner called out to SPD officers to tighten enforcement. She also suggested holding students accountable in a different manner.

"University students are often much more afraid of their parents than they are of the rules," Miner said. "And if we can have access to their parents, through the university, through informal or formal ways, I think it will go a long way toward solving this problem."

Kimatian said MayFest reflects poorly on the city as a whole.

"It's OK to say, 'Students will be students,' but they should also be law-abiding," Kimatian said. "I'm sure most of them wouldn't do most of this in their home areas."

When the discussion turned to university-area housing, Miner said she would use new, innovative ideas to combat the issues directly. She did not elaborate on exactly what ideas she had in mind.

"I don't think the past administration has done a good enough job," she said.

Jennings suggested a series of steps for improving university-area housing: greater Syracuse-SU collaboration, fire inspectors going into each building, mandatory training for students living off campus and some type of review to survey the neighborhood at the end of each year.

Kimatian outlined a new program, the Department of Neighborhood Advocacy, and a Web site where complaints from residents could be submitted, posted and analyzed.

On inner-city education, Kimatian lauded the Say Yes to Education mentor program. He called for Syracuse City School District Superintendent Dan Lowengard to be included in the mayoral cabinet and for improved representation on the school board.

Jennings said he has walked the halls of each high school in Syracuse. Parents are the key elements for improving city education, he said, and the city must improve the teacher-student relationship, too.

Miner wants to continue expanding and developing the Say Yes program.

The format switched from predetermined topics to a lightning round of quick questions where the candidates provided short answers.

The topics varied from plans for Interstate Route 81 to the candidates' favorite television show.



The three were also asked if the drinking age should be lowered or not. Kimatian and Jennings answered no. Miner said yes.



kcleach@syr.edu

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