CHICAGO (WLS) -- On Monday night, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia faced off in their first televised forum since last month's election, which forced them into the April 7 runoff.
How will the next mayor of Chicago resolve the city's looming half-billion-dollar pension debt due at the end of this year? That was the first question at Monday night's forum.
"I believe in a Chicago-owned, Chicago-run casino," Emanuel said.
The mayor suggested possible "non-property-tax" ways to raise revenue to resolve the city's pension debt, including reforming the state sales tax to include services.
"The legislative leaders and governor in Springfield are talking about that and I'll lead the effort to make sure Chicago is not cut out from that," Emanuel said.
"Four years ago, the Mayor promised to put the city's fiscal house in order. That hasn't happened. That's why we're in this financial hole that we're in today," Garcia said.
But Garcia - blaming the mayor for the city's problems - had no suggestions of his own, saying he would not know the Chicago's true fiscal condition until after being sworn in.
"The most important thing we need to do upon assuming office is open up the books," Garcia said.
"When I became mayor, we had a $600 million budget deficit that's now been cut in half with no gimmicks, no property tax increase," Emanuel said.
"There have not been any audits of any departments in the city of Chicago there needed badly," Garcia said.
Garcia's recurring theme was that Emanuel had neglected the city's neighborhoods and favored wealthy, downtown interests.
"This mayor has provided corporate welfare to his cronies, millionaires and billionaires in Illinois," Garcia said.
"I don't believe in pitting one part of the city against another. No great city does not have a growing, thriving central business district and growing, thriving neighborhoods," Emanuel said.
On education, the mayor touted the longer public school day, improved high school graduation rates, and made no apologies for closing schools and would not support an elected school board.
"It's about energizing our Local School Councils and making sure parents run for the seats," Emanuel said.
"The Mayor's out of touch. 90% of voters voted for an elected school board," Garcia said.
The candidates also sparred over crime and the red light camera system that Garcia wants to dismantle, without saying how he'd replace the revenue.
"The cameras are founded on a lie. The cameras are there to produce revenue," Garcia said.
"It is about eliminating the side crashes, guns and gang members," Emanuel said.
The next debate is scheduled for March 26, then a third and final one-one-one will be March 31.
The election is April 7. Early voting begins on March 23.