WATERLOO — On occasion, competing election candidates are willing to give each other a little credit.

At the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce event at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, candidates were asked what they feel is the most important issue facing the Region of Waterloo.

Candidate Dave MacDonald was the first to respond and said — for neither the first nor the last time — that light rail transit should be stopped.

Fellow mayoral hopeful Dave Jaworsky disagreed and said it was actually homelessness in light of a string of churches ending their involvement in the Out of the Cold program.

"If I was sitting at regional council right now the top issue for me would be the Out of the Cold program, affordable housing," Jaworsky said. "We need action now."

When he was finished, MacDonald leaned over and acknowledged Jaworsky's point.

The moment was short-lived, however, as candidates endured the two-hour forum in front of about 50 people.

The four mayoral hopefuls agreed Waterloo needs to attract jobs and promote itself as a first-class city. They also were on the same page on funding the Creative Enterprise Initiative, a cultural support organization.

"Empowering the Creative Enterprise Initiative will actually be empowering all the artists throughout the region," said Rami Said.

They had varying views on the implementation of a new land tax, infrastructure, light rail transit, and whether to freeze development charges.

Erika Traub said a new land transfer tax is just one more bill for residents.

"I think we pay enough taxes," she said. "We probably pay way too much."

MacDonald said the city needs to balance what people want without taxing them painfully.

"The city's job is to deliver the services the people require at taxes they can afford," he said.

Jaworsky said his experience working with the federal and provincial governments while in a senior position at BlackBerry situates him well to lobby for infrastructure money.

The infrastructure question prompted Said to pose a question to his competitors, asking if they don't support new taxes where they plan to find money to pay for things like infrastructure.

"It has to come from somewhere," he said.

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Traub responded, "It comes from increased efficiency."

Local mayors get a seat at the regional table. The municipal election is Oct. 27.