Sudbury Chamber mayoral debate turns up heat on Brian Bigger

Morning North6:35Fiery mayor's debate in Sudbury targets front-runner Brian Bigger

There were some lively exchanges at the Chamber of Commerce mayoral debate in Sudbury. Brian Bigger took the bulk of the attacks. He's considered by many to be the front-runner in the race. We have a sample of the debate.

After spending the first four debates of the campaign getting their own ideas across, Sudbury's mayoral candidates focused on each other during a Chamber of Commerce debate Wednesday night.

Several hundred people who showed up to watch saw most of the candidates take aim at perceived front-runner Brian Bigger.

The most fiery exchange last night came after Brian Bigger was asked by John Rodriguez how he would achieve his promise of freezing taxes in the first year of his term, without laying off workers at the city:

"If there an opportunity to significant savings, starting with the transit garage ... I didn't see any savings from the purchasing audit," Bigger said.

Rodriguez interjected: "Can you give him another 10 minutes to answer the question? Answer the question, for heaven's sake!"

"I have answered the question," Bigger retorted.

Rodriguez countered, "We've got a Tim Hudak in the house."

The other leading candidates — Dan Melanson and Rodriguez — mostly left each other alone to take aim at Bigger.

Bigger is on leave from his job as the city's auditor general, but repeatedly referred to the work he's done, and the ideas he says council ignored.

City councillor and now would-be mayor Ron Dupuis pointed out that Bigger wasn't seen as a white knight when council hired him.

"We had offered the job to three others,” he said.

Melanson stressed a need to invest in social housing: “Mr. Bigger, I'm not some ogre who only looks at the bottom line. We have a social responsibility. If you're going to zero per cent increases for taxes, It's going to make the situation worse, not better."

 Bigger countered he was surprised, since Melanson has promised to focus on "core services" at the city.

"But you're closing Pioneer Manor. You're closing arenas,” Bigger said.

The final mayoral debate goes tonight. It will be held at St. Andrew's Place on Larch Street, starting at 6 p.m.,and is focused on issues affecting Sudbury’s downtown.