India Walton, Mayor Brown answer questions at Buffalo Mayoral Debate

On Thursday, Democratic nominee for mayor India Walton, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and two other candidates gathered at the Frank E.

Merriweather, Jr. Library for a debate ahead of the November 2 election for Mayor of Buffalo.

RACE FOR BUFFALO MAYOR.

THECANDIDATES TAKE THE DEBATESTAGE FOR WHAT COULD BE THEONLY TIME THIS YEAR.WE ARE LESS THAN EIGHT WEEKSAWAY FROM A REMATCH OF ONE OFTHE BIGGEST UPSETS IN WESTERNNEW YORK POLITICAL HISTORY.INDIA WALTON DEFEATED FOUR-TERM INCUMBENT MAYOR BYRONBROWN BY FOUR PERCENTAGEPOINTS IN THE DEMOCRATICPRIMARY BACK IN JUNE.

BROWN ISRUNNING AGAIN AS A WRITE-INCANDIDATE -- BUT IS ALSOFIGHTING TO GET HIS NAME BACKON THE BALLOT.NATALIE FAHMY WAS AT TONIGHT'SDEBATE AT THE MERRIWEATHERLIBRARY.

NATALIE -- THECANDIDATES WERE NOT AFRAID TOGO AFTER EACH OTHER ON THEISSUES.JEFF&TENSIONS WERE CERTAINLYHIGH AT THE DEBATE, WITHSEVERAL TOPICS COVERED FROMCLIMATE CHANGE, TO CRIME TOTAXES."MY LIFE HAS NOT BEEN MUCHDIFFERENT THAN A TYPICALPERSON WHO HAS GROWN UP ON THEEAST SIDE OF BUFFALO.

ISURVIVED POVERTY, ABUSE ANDTRAUMA AND THAT'S WHY INRUNNING FOR MAYOR." "I HAVEHAD THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OFSERVING THE CITY OF BUFFALO ASYOUR MAYOR.

WE HAVE WORKED TOBUILD THE CITY." CRIME ANDVIOLENCE IN THE CITY OFBUFFALO WAS TOP OF MIND ATTHURSDAY NIGHTS DEBATE.

MAYORBYRON BROWN SAYS THE RISE INCRIME THESE PAST TWO YEARS CANBE ATTRIBUTED TO THE PANDEMIC."WE HAVE A GUN PROBLEM IN THISNATION.

TOO MANY GUNS COMINGINTO BUFFALO AND COMING INTOCOMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THECOUNTRY." INDIA WALTON SAYSIMPROVING THE COMMUNITY CANHELP BRING THE CRIME RATEDOWN.

"WHY ARE THERE STILLSTREETS THAT ARE NOT WELL LIT?EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE TO BEEXTRA ENFORCEMENT." THECANDIDATES WENT HEAD-TO- HEADON THEIR PLANS FOR FUNDING LAWENFORCEMENT.

WALTON SAYS SHEWANTS TO FREE UP TIME FORPOLICE TO DO THEIR JOB.

BROWNSAYS NOT HAVING POLICE RESPONDTO SITUATIONS LIKE MENTALHEALTH CALLS PUTS THECOMMUNITY AT RISK.

OF THE FOURCANDIDATES RUNNING FOR MAYOR,WALTON WAS THE ONLY TO SAY SHEWILL INCREASE TAXES."UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE GOING TOHAVE TO LOOK AT A MODEST,INCREMENTAL TAX INCREASE"MAYOR BROWN SAYS HE HAS EITHERHELD THE LINE ON TAXES OR CUTTHEM.

HE SAYS HER TAX HIKE ISNOT MODEST.

"IN FACT SHE SAIDIN AN INTERVIEW THAT SHE'SGOING TO RAISE TAXES BY THREEPERCENT, THREE PERCENT IS NOT AMODEST TAX INCREASE." BOTHCANDIDATES AGREE THAT THEYWANT TO BE SURE BLACK ANDBROWN COMMUNITIES CANPARTICIPATE IN THE MARIJUANAINDUSTRY ONCE IT COMES TOBUFFALO.

AND THEY BOTH SAYTACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE IS APRIORITY.

"WE ARE GOING TOMAKE SURE THAT GREEN JOBS ANDGREEN ENERGY ARE A PRIORITY INOUR ADMINISTRATION.""RECYCLING IS NOW AT THEHIGHEST LEVEL IN THE HISTORYOF THE CITY OF BUFFALO." BROWNWAS THE ONLY CANDIDATE TO MAKEHIMSELF AVAILABLE FOR COMMENTAFTER THE DEBATE.

"I FEEL VERYGOOD ABOUT THE DEBATE, I GOTMY OPPONENT TO ADMIT THAT SHEIS GOING TO RAISE TAXES BYTHREE PERCENT."AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO PLANFOR A SECOND DEBATE AHEAD OFTHE ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 2.BROWN SAYS HE WILL MAKHIMSELF AVAILABLE FOR ANYOTHER DEBATES TO BE HELD INTHE FUTURE.

LIVE FROM THENEWSROOM, NATALIE FAHMY 7EWN.BYRON BROWN AND INDIA WALTONARE GETTING MOST OF THATTENTION IN THE MAYORAL RACBUT THERE ARE TWO OTHER MENWHO ALSO WANT YOUR VOTE ONNOVEMBER 2ND.

JAZ MILES IS AREPUBLICAN AND A BUSINESSOWNER.

HE RUNS A FAST FOODRESTAURANT IN BUFFALO -- ANDHAS BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS.HE RAN AGAINST ASSEMBLYSPEAKER CRYSTAL PEOPLES-STOKESLAST YEAR.

MILES REPEATEDLYWENT AFTER MAYOR BROWN ONCRIME IN THE QUEEN CITY.I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE A BUNCHOF GARBLE ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONEWHEN WE'RE ON THE LIST OFFORBES 10 MOST DANGEROUSCITIES AS OF 2019, THERE'S NOESCAPING THAT, TOP 10, MOSTDANGEROUS CITIES, BUFFALO, NY,2019, AND STILL NO EXPLANTIONOF HOW WE GOT THERE BUFFALOWAS ON FORBES' LIST OF MOSTDANGEROUS CITIES IN 2012THEIR REPORT FROM 2019 WAS NOTAVAILABLE.

BUFFALO DID NOTAPPEAR ON USA TODAY'S LIST OFTHE 25 MOST DANGEROUS CITIESFROM 2019.BEN CARLISLE IS A POLITICALNEWCOMER.

HE GRADUATED FROMU-B LAW SCHOOL IN 2008 ANDBECAME A LAWYER.

CARLISLE WASA REGISTERED DEMOCRAT FORALMOST TWENTY YEARS.

BUT HEQUIT THE PARTY LAST YEAR -- HESAYS BECAUSE OF THE RESPONSETO CIVIL RIGHTS CASES ACROSSTHE COUNTRY.I'VE BEEN A REGISTEREDDEMOCRAT SINCE I COULD VOTE,BUT THE DEMOCRATS LOST ME IN2020 WHEN THEY EMBRACED RIOTS,LOOTING, DEFUNDING THE POLICE,CLOSING DOWN OUR SCHOOLS, OURCHURCHES AND OUR SMALLBUSINESSES, AND MOSTFRIGHTENING OF ALL, SOCIALISMCARLISLE SAYS HE IS NOT SUREIF HE WILL BECOME A MEMBER OFANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY.SO WE KNOW WHO THE CANDIDATESARE IN THE RACE FOR BUFFALOMAYOR.

BUT WE STILL DO NOT YETKNOW WHAT THE BALLOT WILL LOOKLIKE WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE INNOVEMBER.

THE ERIE COUNTYBOARD OF ELECTIONS VOTED TONOT CERTIFY THE BALLOT --UNTIL THE LEGAL MATTER CAN BEDECIDED IN COURT.

YESTERDAY ANAPPEALS COURT JUDGE RULED TOPLACE A STAY ON OTHER COURTDECISIONS TO ALLOW BYRON BROWNTO PUT HIS NAME ON THE BALLO