SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Ralph Becker and challenger Jackie Biskupski clashed in their final public showdown Wednesday night, the last debate before voting closes in less than six days.

The debate illuminated a stark difference between the two-term incumbent and former state legislator in their stances of officer-involved shootings, strategies for approving big-dollar city projects, and mass transit solutions.

An audience of more than 200 gathered in the Salt Lake City Main Library for the last public contest between the Salt Lake City mayoral candidates before Election Day.

Officer-involved shootings

Officer-involved shootings and police use of force emerged as a polarizing issue for Becker and Biskupski after the candidates were asked their opinions of shootings of Dillon Taylor, 20, and Darrien Hunt, 22, during a debate last week.

Taylor was shot Aug. 11, 2014, in a South Salt Lake 7-Eleven parking lot when he failed to comply after three officers gave him verbal commands to reveal his hands.

Hunt was killed during a confrontation on Sept. 10, 2014, when two Saratoga Springs police officers fired seven shots after Hunt swung a 3-foot-long katana sword at one or both of them.

Indicating that the cases had been ruled as justified after the legal review process, Becker said last week he "would have been scared to death" and "probably would have done the same" as the police officers.

"Use of force should probably be the last resort for any officer," Becker added during Wednesday's debate. He indicated while there is a review process in place, "that doesn't mean we don't need to do more."

Biskupski, however, said the shootings were "unjustified," based on what she knew about them at the time.

"I have eight years of experience in law enforcement, and I am also a mother of a black son," she said. "And so for me, I understand the perspectives of both sides of the issue. We need to have a complete and open transparency on every use of force, and we also need to make sure that the training and hiring processes are best practices."

Biskupski has been endorsed by the Salt Lake City Police Association. The group's president, Mike Millard, said she had called him to discuss the issue after she first made her opinion of the shootings public last week. Millard said he still supports Biskupski.

"My biggest issue is the discussion and that, moving forward, she's willing to work with us," Millard said. "Whether we agree or not, I want to have a full discussion so that we have a chance to make our case one way or another. (Biskupski) is willing to do that. Becker has talked to me one time, and that was to ask for our endorsement."

Bond approval

During the debate, Biskupski criticized Becker for approving the extension of an old bond originally voted on for the Salt Palace to fund the $120 million broadway theater currently under construction.

"The mayor found a way to not come to us for approval on rolling that bond over to pay for the theater," Biskupski said, questioning why Becker did not go to the people to approve the extension of the bond.

But Becker said he did, in fact, seek public input on the matter, with "hundreds" of public meetings over five years.

"We arrived at a decision together, the City Council, County Council, myself and the mayor of the county that this was a smart and wise investment," Becker said. "I don't apologize for making good decisions. When this theater opens next year, there's no question in my mind that the people in this community will be thrilled with (the theater)."

Biskupski called the theater an example of the mayor making a decision that should be up to residents. She also pointed to ongoing plans to extend the Sugar House streetcar and close the Glendale Golf Course despite public protest.

"Again, our voices are being silenced on these key issues," she said.

Transit system

Biskupski said she wants to start a city-owned circulation system separate from the Utah Transit Authority by partnering with the University of Utah. Becker says that proposal would be financially unwise.

When asked how she would fund the city-operated system, Biskupski suggested using a general obligation bond.

"That is a possibility that I think is a good one, but we will not act on this without your support," she said to the audience.

Becker said if the city were to pursue its own transit system, it would result in a double taxation for a whole new operation.

"I believe we should be putting that money into improving transit service," Becker said. "UTA will work with us. … The idea of starting a whole new system, building a big bureaucracy in the city is a very unwise use of taxpayer dollars. The City Council has discussed it and rejected it.

"I don't think this needs to go to the vote of the people," he continued. "We need sensible solutions to improve transit service in Salt Lake City, and that means investing in transit services, not a big bureaucracy."

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