Debate comes to campus: Mayoral candidates discuss Rupp Arena renovations, crime and campus’ relationship with the city

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By Nick Gray

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Lexington mayor Jim Gray believes the Rupp Arena renovation project plan will be ready when “the time is right.” Former Lexington police chief Anthany Beatty said that the time with the current plan will never be right.

Gray, the incumbent, and Beatty, the Lexington mayoral challenger, differed on the city’s relationship with UK during the pair’s final debate before next week’s election on Tuesday at the Worsham Theater.

The debate was presented by WUKY-FM and the questions came from social media, pre-recorded videos and responses from the Worsham Theater crowd.

Gray, who initiated the Rupp Arena renovation talks and pushed both UK and the state legislature for funding, said that one project “does not entirely reflect” the relationship.

“(Projects) don’t always happen on (the city’s) timetable,” Gray said. “When the time is right, the plan is ready.”

Beatty described the relationship as “fractured” and said that the project “suffered” from a lack of communication from the two sides.

“The project is not ready,” Beatty said. “Things are not correctly in place, and we need to look for changes.”

Beatty criticized police force cuts when the debate shifted to public safety. He said that he, if elected, would increase the police force “off of the top of the budget and worry about other things later.”

Gray said that Lexington has the lowest homicide rate of any city of its size in the country.

“Any (violent crimes) are unacceptable,” Gray said. “No one wants to see them. But we’ve made strides in limiting the amount of drugs and other substances with task forces. Most of our homicides are the result of drugs and we are limiting that.”

Discussion of the rise of homelessness in downtown Lexington led to Gray saying the city has ramped up funding by at least $1.2 million in surplus from the 2013-14 city budget and made additional shelters available downtown.

Beatty agreed that the city has helped “the plight of homeless people” but said he was in favor of extending even more resources.

“It is the government’s job to provide these services to the people that need them,” Beatty said.

At the conclusion of the debate, both candidates summed up their platform in their closing statements of the debate cycle, with Beatty touting his experience in public safety.

“We do have a violent crime problem,” Beatty said. “Public safety and the Rupp Arena project are Jim’s big mistakes, and it’s time for proven and good leadership.”

Gray’s message focused on his track record.

“Three words define my last four years and my next four years,” Gray said. “Those three words are ‘getting things done.’”