SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Crowded tables of council candidates served up a warm-up act to an uncomfortable elbow-to-elbow debate between Mark Heyck and John Himmelman, Friday night at Northern United Place. The Chamber of Commerce organized the forums - which pitched five business-related questions at the fifteen candidates.

Mayor Mark Heyck, left, and the man gunning for his job, John Himmelman, locked horns in public for the first time during a the Chamber of Commerce's mayoral candidates forum held at Northern United Place, last Friday. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo

Candidates were asked what they plan to do to better engage the business community, and how to ensure transparency when presenting results.

They were asked if they'd commit to a zero per cent tax increase for the 2016 budget, and whether they think cuts should be made during the budget deliberation process.

They were asked what they'd do to address the high cost of living and doing business in Yellowknife, what they'd do to reduce the red tape making it difficult for business owners to get permits, what they'd do to ensure economic prosperity, and what is their vision for the city's future.

The councillors - thirteen of them minus Coun. Rebecca Alty and Jugjit More-Curran - did their best to differentiate themselves from one another, but more or less agreed with eachother on each issue pitched by the moderator - radio broadcaster Loren McGinnis -- during the hour-plus long session which concluded with a couple questions from the public. Candidates Julian Morse, Dane Mason and Niels Konge were crowd favourites, with audible support coming from the audience.

But it was the mayoral candidates who put on the best show - with the challenger Himmelman and incumbent Heyck politely badgering each other over their answers.

Asked if they'd commit to not raising taxes, mayoral candidates both said they couldn't commit to it without having seen the budget. But Himmelman said he doesn't agree with the way the city profits from land sales, and he would find savings for residents by supporting lower land costs. Heyck said it's "patently untrue" that the city profits from land sales.

"We subsidize virtually every land development that we do and for a long time - until maybe just three or four years ago - our land development fund, which both pays for new developments in terms of infrastructure and receives funds from land sales was in a deficit position and it's only in the last few years that that's turned around," said Heyck. "I think there's an element of the land fund that Mr. Himmelman hasn't been able to drill down to which is transfers to their capital fund which actually pays for the infrastructure that goes in the ground. It's a major subsidy to any new development in this city."

Given 30 seconds to respond, Himmelman said the proof is on page 48 of the city's financial statements.

"These are actual gains on top of your costs for the land sales," he said, adding that with a need for more affordable housing the city should be open to lower costs for developers. "Core housing need five years ago was 10 per cent of the population, it's now 18 per cent."

With the floor open to questions from the audience, council candidate Mark Bogan said he's seen a growing number of social problems in Yellowknife and asked the mayoral candidates what "value will you give people like me at that level?"

Heyck said he's been a part of a number of boards looking at social problems in the city during his time as a mayor and a councillor before that. He said the city needs to get those groups working together.

"We have too many silos in the system," he said. "The city is not responsible for health and social services and justice, we do have a fantastic opportunity to facilitate those agencies that are interested."

He said if he's reelected he'll strike a task force on homelessness, modeled on a Victoria, B.C., example.

"They brought sectors of the community to buy into those solutions," he said. "They had a highly focused timeline. They moved on that, they had the momentum, and it was highly successful. I want to emulate that effort here. We're a relatively small jurisdiction, we should be able to get together."

Himmelman said Heyck's new committee sounds a lot like the community advisory board, which already exists.

"I would just start to attend those meetings and start to expand its membership, if we think it's necessary," said Himmelman. "They've been doing a lot of good work with regards to homelessness."

Heyck fired back.

"I'm struck by the sweet sweet irony of a mayoral candidate that has never attended a council meeting questioning my dedication to the city or the issue of homelessness," he said, adding that the problem with committees currently looking at the issue don't have end dates.

"There's no timeline and mandate to really put the pedal to the metal and help those people in our community who need the help most," he said.

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