All six candidates for the upcoming Moscow City Council election talked about their platforms in a forum held at the UI campus Tuesday evening.
Candidates Kelsey Berends, Sandra Kelly, Maureen Laflin, Brandon Mitchell, James Urquidez and Anne Zabala answered questions delivered by forum moderators, ASUI President Jacob Lockhart and ASUI Vice President Fausteen Moulton.
These questions came from the public and were submitted via email or an online form.
Half of the six-seat council is up for grabs in the Nov. 5 election — the three candidates who fill them will each serve 4-year terms.
There were six questions in the forum, two of which were about city ordinances. One of these was about the continued existence of a non-discrimination city ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity/expression and sexual orientation.
Four candidates spoke in favor of upholding the ordinance, while three candidates spoke in opposition to the ordinance.
Sandra Kelly, Maureen Laflin, James Urquidez and incumbent councilor Anne Zabala all said they are in favor of upholding the non-discrimination ordinance.
“We have fewer, if any, complaints that have come into the Human Rights Commision since that ordinance went through,” Laflin said. “We need an enforcement mechanism that is real when you look at the protections for LGBTQ people. That, for me, is really important.”
Kelsey Berends and Brandon Mitchell spoke in opposition of the ordinance.
“When you have, just for a hypothetical, a person that owns an apartment complex that is forced to go against their morals for same-sex marriage, what are they going to do with that couple? I would be in favor of rescinding it, simply because it takes away from someone else’s rights just because you’re giving special preference to a certain class of people,” Mitchell said.
Another question in the forum addressed the closure of The Perch, a popular on-campus convenience store and restaurant.
In 2014, Moscow City Council voted unanimously against sending a zoning exemption waiver to the state that would have allowed The Perch to continue serving alcohol, shutting down the campus staple.
“When we have an exception possibility, we should be focusing on what benefits the city would be receiving if we did give an exception,” Berends said. “Exceptions should be exceptions to the rule, and we should take them on a case-by-case basis.”
Kelly stated she would be willing to look into its closure but would focus on data-driven issues when giving zoning exemptions to local businesses. None of the candidates took a clear stance on whether they would favor reopening The Perch.
The Argonaut will continue to follow the Nov. 5th Moscow City Council Election.
How to vote in the Moscow City Council Election
Correction: The article has been updated to state Urquidez would favor upholding the non-discrimination ordinance.
Ellen Dennis and Angela Palermo can be reached @[email protected]