The Champaign County League of Women Voters hosted a question forum Friday night for candidates in the Urbana Democratic primary. Incumbent Mayor Laurel Prussing and candidate Les Stratton debated questions asked by residents in attendance on topics including crime in the Lierman neighborhoods, the Urbana Landmark Hotel and economic development. The primary election will take place Feb. 26.

How will you decrease crime in Urbana, particularly in the Lierman neighborhoods and the Philo Road area?

Prussing: “Urbana has used community policing for many years. … We’ve cut crime 25 percent across the city. When we started condemning the homes at Urbana Townhomes the crime went down significantly. … Our police department works very closely with our fire department and our building inspectors. We really crack down on slum landlords.” 

Stratton: “My suggestion is to put more police on the streets. I believe locating them in the area on a regular basis is the way to go. Looking at the budget, we’ve come across $380,000 in overtime for fire department. … I would see capping that and using the balance to put additional police on the street.”

What are your thoughts on funding for the Urbana Landmark Hotel? 

Prussing: “Well, the 45 rooms are filled and booked through May. The project was always going to be done in phases. The owner was not out of contract in the agreement because when he ran into problems, we amended the contract. I think it’s wrong to take a man who is investing $2 million and tell him he is a failure when he took on a very tough project and the hotel is beautiful.”

Stratton: “It’s been managed improperly. The current administration overlooked that (the owner) was not ready. … They should have sent him back to the table to get a proper construction plan. If he had that, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now with only 45 rooms available.”

If you become mayor of Urbana, what do you expect to accomplish in the next four years?

Prussing: “I would like to see us continue attracting new businesses to Urbana. I’d like to see completion of the Boneyard project. I’d like to see us have cooperation with Champaign and the University on expanding early childhood education and housing for people and creating more jobs.”

Stratton: “Sustainable environments in sustainable investments. Urbana needs to invest in things that we know we are going to get our money back. If we spend $5 million on Boneyard and it doesn’t attract anybody, we’re out $5 million.”

Corinne can be reached at [email protected].