The two candidates headed into the runoff election for Mayor of Athens-Clarke County, Tim Denson and Dexter Fisher, went head-to-head in a debate on Saturday.
The candidates disagreed on a number of key issues at the debate hosted by AthChat Podcast hosts Drew Abney and Russell Edwards. They clashed over whether high-density development would lower housing costs and the causes of homelessness in Athens.
Both candidates started by expressing concern over the lack of affordable housing in Athens, citing expensive student housing as a cause of high costs, but the two were at odds when it came to how to fix the problem.
As a solution, Fisher suggested UGA’s plan to build more dorms could improve things significantly.
“More density is not the answer,” he said.
But Denson thought the very housing density Fisher criticized may in fact be the best solution. He reintroduced his proposal for a student housing overlay district, which would host high-density student housing close to the UGA campus.
The candidates largely agreed that homelessness is a serious problem in Athens. They both pointed out that more funding should be sourced to build emergency shelters — but things got heated when Fisher alleged that homeless populations have been bussed into Athens from neighboring areas. Denson said those populations are brought here with good reason.
“They are supposed to be brought here to Athens-Clarke County where we have the services for them,” he said.
Questions raised by audience members reflected general disappointment in the current government’s ability to address ongoing problems like lack of affordability, bureaucratic delays, and unjust policing. Voters have just over two weeks to decide which candidate they think can best address these problems.
Advance voting for the Runoff Election will begin on June 8th, with election day on June 16th.
