"The six Democratic candidates for Charlottesville's City Council got a taste of what they're running for at a forum Saturday, line up at the front of the council's chambers in City Hall just a week before their party's nominating convention.

The forum, moderated by party co-chairman J. Lloyd Snook III, was supposed to focus on health care, education and the city budget. Candidates also used it, though, to reinforce familiar campaign themes and - toward the end of the afternoon - directly address negative perceptions of themselves.

The candidates were given some of the forum's topics [and question list] in advance, but it was a question from the audience [of about 70: 7 of whom were black, 4 of which were children] inviting them to answer their perceived weaknesses that prompted them to touch publicly on issues that previously had floated below the radar, mostly as gossip in city political circles.

David Simmons, then, sought to counter concerns that he is too reserved or soft-spoken for council. 'I have been involved because I care about what's happening in the community,' he said, adding that at the University of Virginia Medical Center, where he is a nurse, 'we make some tough decisions, especially [when] it becomes life or death.'

Joan Fenton, who has come under fire for maintaining a house in Albemarle County along with an apartment in Charlottesville, stressed her involvement in the city on boards and committees. 'I am very much committed to Charlottesville,' she said. 'For 10 years all of my businesses that I've opened have been in the city of Charlottesville, because it's a community that I care about.'

Waldo Jaquith, the youngest candidate at 23, said criticism focuses on his age. 'As one old lady said to me who lives in my building on First Street, 'What do you think you're doing?' Jaquith said.

He drew the day's strongest applause from the 60 or so in attendance minutes later, simultaneously arguing that unhappy voters should bring new faces to the council while pointing to his extensive involvement in city council affairs over the last decade.

Mayor Blake Caravati touches on his political style: 'I do believe I'm perceived as aggressive,' he said. 'Im not trying to explain that away, but I care and I take this job very seriously.'

Bern Ewert poked fun at his own outspoken image, honed most recently in clashes with the Prince William County Board of Supervisors while he was there. 'I'm accused of not speaking my mind,' he joked, before touting his ability to build consensus on the five-member council. 'I only have one vote. you need two more to get a majority, and I understand the process,' Ewert said.

Alexandria Searls accentuated the positive in her political demeanor. 'I haven't been happy with how I see council getting along,' she said, adding that she would listen respecfully to other councilors and avoid power struggles.

The same question also sparked a discussion on wardrobe between the candidates at opposite ends of the age spectrum. Noting Jaquith's conservative pinstriped suit and red tie, Ewert - the oldest candidate at 59 - quipped, 'I'm really disappointed ... I never thought I'd see it.'

'You might never see it again,' Jaquith replied of what he described as his 'power tie.' Ewert wore a blazer over a mock turtleneck.

Educational topics came up as well.

Among the proposals: Fenton called for increased pay for teachers; Jaquith said shools should be more like vibrant community centers; Searls called for the school system to hire a staff member to seek out grant money; Simmons proposed a task force on diversity in hiring; Ewert stressed sound budget management; and Caravati focused on city schools' successes.

All of the candidates said the city should work to address performance differences between black and white students. They were also unanimous - save for Caravati - in their criticism of the way the city presents its budget.

It all came in response to a question on how to maintain services in tight economic times without raising taxes.

As he has since declaring his candidacy, Ewert said the published budget should contain more detail on where money is being spent. 'We need to go in now with a knife, and we need to know what we're cutting,' he said.

Searls noted that the budget doesn't list the city's much-debated preschool program as a separate item, and Simmons said, 'Trying to make heads or tails of it is quite difficult.'

'I was appalled at the lack of information that was available there,' Fenton said, calling for budget figures to be made available on the city's web site.

'I agree that the budget is somewhat impenetrable,' Jaquith said, before arguing that the city should lobby for the return of the car tax and an increased tobacco tax to help support under-funded programs.

Caravati, the only incumbent running, disputed the notion that the existing budget format is unclear. 'That has been, in my years of civic involvement in this building, one of the criticsms that is less founded,' he said.

The Democrats will choose their two nominees at a mass meeting Saturday at Charlottesville High School. No Republicans have entered the council race" (Jake Mooney, The Daily Progress, February 17, 2002).