AUBURN - Personal attacks and copious rebuttals filled the Auburn mayoral debate.

Current mayor Timothy Lattimore, councilor David Dempsey, and former fire chief Michael Quill spent the majority of a forum Tuesday at Cayuga Community College talking about two hot topics of the race, the Auburn Fire Department and the nicknamed “Brawl at City Hall.” Voters will select one as Auburn mayor on Tuesday.

The candidates jumped in with the 15-person minimum for the fire department and the overtime that some say resulted from this increase in employees per shifts. Quill, the department head at the time, has said the city manager, then John Salomone, and corporation counsel negotiated the union contract. He added that the city has failed to fill vacancies within the fire department, also a key factor in growing overtime costs.

“If I knew then what I know now, I certainly would have been more vocal,” Quill said.

However, Dempsey said council and Salomone “relied heavily” on Quill for his recommendations and called the contract “a huge mistake.”

“In my opinion, Chief Quill is solely responsible,” Dempsey said. The union contract passed with all councilors, including Dempsey, voting for it while Lattimore abstained.

Throughout Lattimore's time with the city, the department had shift requirements ranging from 12 to 15 firefighters. Both he and Dempsey said they would push for a 14-employee minimum, with Dempsey wanting the chief to count as one of the 14.

“We need to right size public safety,” Lattimore said.

The city should eventually move towards regionalization, Dempsey added.

Quill declined to state a figure because the city should examine what concessions it is willing to make.

However, he said 15 is probably the best number based on national standards.

“Mr. Quill's reluctance to answer the question is very telling to me. The fire department is a sacred cow to the community and a staff member of 32 years won't even commit to a number,” Dempsey said.

He added he saw the former firefighter possibly taking the mayor position as a conflict of interest. Quill denied he would cater to any one group over another, and knows the job of mayor means to lead the city as a whole.

Lattimore too was under attack for not keeping his promise of creating 1,500 new jobs. The city had plenty of near misses but needs to concentrate on lowering energy costs to attract more industry, he said.

“If we get some ... cheap energy, I'm not afraid to go to the New York Times or Wall Street Journal and put in an ad,” Lattimore said.

Dempsey called Lattimore a “miserable failure” in businesses and industrial growth.

“When it comes to economic development, we don't have a coherent policy. We have a throw-it-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks (system),” Dempsey said.

He encourages using a portion of sales tax revenue to market the city, turning Cayuga Community College into a four-year school and develop the city's cultural character.

“If he had some game plan to pick up the city and move us, why didn't he do it for the past five years,” Lattimore said, referring to the time Dempsey spent as member and chair of the Auburn Industrial Development Authority before stepping down last year. Dempsey said he quit was because of issues with Lattimore not appointing him.

“This is what's wrong with this city,” Quill said, pointing his thumbs at both men. “These gentlemen couldn't agree on a free cup of coffee right now.”

Quill said he wants to see regionalization to improve the city, starting with combining efforts with the county.

Another topic was the fistfight between Lattimore and Dempsey in 2004. Dempsey agreed he regretted the situation, but said he was attacked and he defended himself.

Lattimore said the fracas was over personal issues and he would not allow city money to be used for people's personal discretion

“It's embarrassing but I'm not going to apologize,” Lattimore said.

Dempsey referred to an incident of the mayor having a physical altercation with an employee, but comptroller Lisa Green said it was a misunderstanding and there's no animosity between herself and Lattimore.

The fact that neither man have been taken to task upset Quill who called to the men to “fess up” to what really happened that day during executive session.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net

Watch for yourself

See the debate at www.auburnpub.com, click on the Election 2007 button