Binghamton’s mayoral candidates Republican Rich David and Democrat Teri Rennia took part in two debates on Tuesday. The candidates took questions from Binghamton Rotary Club members who hosted the debate in the early afternoon, and then at 7 o’clock gathered inside the Binghamton High School where students from BHS and Seton Catholic High School asked questions during an hour-long debate in front of a crowd of about 175 people. David says his focus is lowering Binghamton’s rising crime rates before tackling any economy-related issues, saying that businesses and people want to locate to a place where they feel safe. The first step of his plan would be hiring additional police officers in the city and launching programs to target gang and drug activity. While Rennia’s focus was mostly on the city’s economy, she also said that she would focus more resources on youth recreation programs to help lower the rates of juvenile crime in the city. Voting for mayor will take place next Tuesday.
