Good evening and welcome to the 2021 Allentown mayoral debate Genesis Ortega.

Change is a word that applies throughout Allentown right now.

The latest census figures show that for the first time that Latinos are the majority in the city.

Gracias.

But Compañeros, soon a new leader will begin work as head of the Allentown school district and in just a little more than two weeks, voters will elect a new mayor.

That's why we're here tonight.

PBS39 and WLVT are proud to present this forum live from the Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

You can watch a Spanish language version right now on PBS39 Extra.

Our guests tonight are the two candidates hoping to lead the city for the next four years.

They're joining us remotely.

Matt Tuerk is the Democratic candidate.

He won the Democratic primary over incumbent Mayor Ray O'Connell.

He previously worked as a VP for the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

He's seeking his first elected office.

Tim Ramos is the Republican candidate.

He describes himself as a community activist and previously served on the Lehigh County Republican Committee.

He ran against Ray O'Connell in 2018 and was unopposed in this year's primary.

Here's the format for tonight's debate.

First, the candidates get two minutes to introduce themselves in an opening statement.

We then begin with a lightning round each candidate answering They'll have one minute to answer with no rebuttals.

The next round of questions will be for you.

Both candidates.

They'll each have a minute to reply.

Rebuttals will be permitted in this part of the debate.

Candidates just raise your hand or signal me and I'll come back to you after the response.

And later we'll give the candidates a chance to ask each other questions in the crossfire round.

A quick note.

The candidates do not know what the questions will be.

Journalists from PBS39 and WLVT wrote the questions.

The candidates have not seen them or been involved in creating them.

We have a lot to cover, so let's get to it.

Mr Tuerk, before the debate we flipped a coin.

You'll kick us off with your opening statement.

Everybody, I met her and I'm so thrilled to be here with you as your Democratic nominee for mayor of the city of Allentown.

My wife Karen and I moved here 17 years ago and we're raising our daughters, Amelia and Mar-a-Lago to be proud.

Allentown Lyons.

I spent the past 12 years working to bring jobs and investment to the Lehigh Valley most recently as the Vice President of Business Attraction at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

We've been recognized as a top reason for job creating projects.

And while the Lehigh Valley has done well, Allentown lagged behind due to a lack of engagement by leadership and uncertainty about our city's future.

That's why I'm running for mayor.

I have a vision of a safe, clean and healthy Allentown that is connected to our region and where everybody has an opportunity for good life.

How will we get there?

Leverage my business experience to better manage our city's finances, communicate with our residents to keep them informed, break down the silos that lead to government inefficiency and build a culture of service to our residents and stakeholders.

We'll invest in neighborhoods and the people who live there by bringing by partnering job training organizations to make sure that our residents have the skills needed to get the jobs that will attract here, empower our neighbors to build the blocks that they want to live on and ensure that our kids have access to positive outcomes, playing on safe streets, going to good schools and becoming those healthy, proud Allentown Lyons.

I'll be Allentown first Spanish speaking mayor and Allentown first mayor of Latino heritage haciendo me Avella of failure.

They had what with USA Swimming yetto Matteo.

Our city is over 55% Latino but we're all Allentown now.

I'll use my language skills, my upbringing and my work experience in Panama, Nicaragua to make sure that all Allentown are heard and understood as we work together to make a better Allentown needs a leader with experience and energy to move our city forward.

That's me, but I cannot do it alone.

We'll do it together all in four Allentown.

That's why I'm asking for your support on November 2nd.

Thank.

Thank you Mr Tuerk.

Mr Ramos, your opening statement.

I want to thank PB's for organizing this event.

Thank Eugenicist for being once again our moderator and thank all of you who tuned in to hear my platform and what I have to offer to our city again, my name is Tim Ramos.

I'm the candidate for mayor of Allentown.

I'm a lifelong Allentown resident.

I grew up on Seven Street.

I'm a William Barr Ashland graduate.

I'm a homeowner here in Tower City.

My husband, my wife and I have been married for 17 and a half years and we have five children together.

I'm also a small business owner and I've spent over a decade working with at risk youth in our community through mentorship and taking the concerns of our residents to our elected officials.

I'm running because I'm tired of seeing the needs of special interest come before our residents here in the city.

We've seen what that gets us with our previous mayor who, you know, we saw that got him through corruption and you know, in the last several years we've seen giant tax increases, rent increases.

We've seen waves of violence and a decrease in our quality of life here in the city.

I've worked alongside residents and small business owners for the last 12 plus years.

I've carried their issues to sit in the chambers of city council and I've argued on their behalf my opponent has not.

My opponent will ask you to elect him based on his resume.

I'm asking you to elect me based on my record, a record of service to our community, a record that's been on the right side of every major issue facing our city for the last ten plus years.

Issues like clean streets, safe debate and I thank you once again for having me.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

Now we move to the lightning round.

You have up to a minute to respond.

Mr Ramos, this first question is for you, 920 two people have died from Covid-19 and Lehigh County since the start of the pandemic now or as mayor, would you encourage Allentown residents or city employees who work with at risk groups to get Say yes, you are.

The vaccine is a great tool for fighting Covid antivax is a great option for most, though I wouldn't support mandates I my personal feeling is that whenever we boarded the line of violating someone's constitutional rights, their freedom I that personally makes me uncomfortable.

I'd encourage it.

Yes.

You know, I've been in conversation with many people working on the front lines on the pandemic issue and many in our nonprofit organizations.

And I think that they're doing a good job because I actually spoke to one just the other day.

They said they had a goal there, specific organization of getting the vaccine to at least 100 people and they were working alongside St Luke's, I believe.

And of course, we have LVHN.

We have our Allentown Health Bureau working on these issues.

And I think they're all collaborative, really doing a good job to get the vaccine to our community.

Mr Emmaus, you're not vaccinated, correct?

Correct.

No, I'm not.

Why is that so?

When I was a young kid, I had severe reaction to a vaccine and because of the pandemic for dealing with this vaccine, because of the pandemic, I was not able to see my doctor.

So now they put me on a waiting list and because of short staffing, we've been on that list for about three or four months and I have an appointment on November 11th.

He's going to give me a once over, if you will, and make sure that, you know, all is good so that in the event of taking the Covid vaccine, I wouldn't have a severe adversary.

Sections of the Covid vaccine.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

Mr Tuerk Allentown mayoral primary was a powderkeg.

The attacks got personal.

Members of city council are still at odds.

And you won by a slim 122 vote margin.

How are you going to get anything done if you're elected.

The way that I'll get things done is by working with our city council members.

So we I actually disagree.

I don't know if it was a powder keg.

I think we kept it pretty cordial.

It's critical that we have good positive working relationships in the city of Allentown if we're going to do anything together.

We talk about partnerships.

We talk about collaboration.

I have good working relationships with all of our city council people.

I've had productive conversations with everybody since the primary and I've been able to work closely with some of those folks before any of this even started.

I had a good working relationship with Councilman Moapa and with Councilman Gary Day during the years that I was the Allentown economic Development Corporation.

So they've illustrated a commitment to me that they're eager to work closely with Tuerk administration and that's what we have to do.

We have to have collaboration and importance around moving our city forward.

That's what we'll be able to do.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

Mr Emmaus Allentown mayor is CEO of the third largest city in Pennsylvania without having held any other elected office.

What qualifies you to manage a $120 million budget and lead an 800 person workforce?

Well, you know, I'm no stranger to the issues facing Allentown residents.

I've been working with the residents business and nonprofits for years on the issues we're facing right now.

My opponent only shot up a year ago and I have business experience.

I have a small business.

I employ people right now and I have the experience of signing contracts and working on contracts.

So we do have experience and we're continuing to work the biggest thing is I have good relationships with our city Albright now I've sat down and met with every single department head and gone through some of the issues that we're facing in every single department.

I believe I have a good grasp on what we're dealing with and the areas I want to focus on.

And I would see no problems in dealing with those issues in upon me becoming mayor, I speak to our city employees as well.

I get their opinion on issues and how there could be some deficiencies and I look for efficiency and how to get the job done.

I provide solutions.

That's something that I've done for the last 12 years is provided so much to our city.

This question is for Mr Tuerk.

Mr Tuerk, you champion yourself in this campaign as the quote, fresh voice of experience for Allentown.

Yet some of the people behind your campaign are some of the same Allentown Democrats who've steered the party for decades.

What makes you different so?

Well, I have a lot of voices participating in our campaign that include not just Democrats that have been involved in Allentown for years, but Republicans who have been involved in Allentown for years.

I go to the people who can provide the best ideas.

So what makes our campaign different in for mayor is I am I have a connection beyond and experiences beyond Allentown we worked for 12 years in Allentown economic development Corporation.

The past seven of those I worked at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

I have a commitment to making sure that our city can excel as not just a city by itself but a city in collaboration with our regional partners.

That's the big difference here is it's not simply the same folks who have been involved for years.

We're going to bring a fresh look to our city, somebody who hasn't been in office before.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

That concludes our Lightning Round.

Thank you both.

We're glad you are joining us for this live debate between Allentown Mayor Sal Panto, Eddie Moran, PBS39 and 91.3 WLVT are.

Let's move on for the next questions.

You'll both have a minute to answer if you want to rebut or add something, you can, but only after you've both had a chance to respond.

Mr Tuerk, just two nights ago, a man was gunned down in his car on 7th Street.

Police described it as a road rage incident.

Gun violence, sadly, is a part of life Allentown what will you do about that?

So that was a unique situation.

We haven't seen the driver and road rage incident for gun violence is absolutely a part of our city at the moment.

My belief is that the remedy, the best remedy for crime is what I've said before, which is investing in our neighborhoods and the health and development and not simply throwing more police at the issue.

And why is that?

The people in our neighborhood are the closest are the closest people to the issues and they understand those issues better than anyone else.

I worked closely and personally with organizations Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley mother, mother and the Cohesion Network to interrupt the chain of violence.

We've walked in the streets.

The idea is to interrupt this transmission of the disease of violence so what?

My belief is that we need to work closely with trusted messengers carrying anti violence message and who can be allies to both the city and the police department as we work together to stem crime and Allentown.

Mr Emmaus, your response?

What will you as mayor do about the gun violence?

That's all too common in our city?

I'm actually glad with some of the things Mr Tuerk just said.

He said he talked about people from the community who are closest to the issues facing the community.

Well, that's Tim Ramos.

I grew up on 7th Street and the heart of our downtown.

I grew up on cemetery in the nineties when it was littered with drug drugs and gun violence.

In a very bad way.

Coming up until 1990, and 98.

And now we're seeing that again.

So I have a lot of experience in this area.

I've worked with young people for since I was 19 years old.

I created an organization called a program called City Life where we did direct youth engagement to deter young people from going down the same path as many people of many of their peers.

That was a successful organization is still around today.

We're still doing it and our and it works.

I also talked been a proponent for many years of community policing because community policing, having the relationship with police, not just seen the cop your title as an adversary who drives to your neighborhood.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

Mr Tuerk, you'd like to say Yeah, I mean, it's a great story and I appreciate where Tim came from.

I think that his experience and Allentown from 20 years ago helped shape who he is today.

But it doesn't tell us much about what he'll do as mayor to stem violence in our city.

I think I can remember the name of the organization him, but I haven't seen anything about that organization.

Be curious to know more about the impact that it truly has on our neighborhoods, cities change a lot in 20 years.

Allentown is significant.

I think we need to come up with fresh ideas and be deeply involved with this community.

The people who are intervention, who are intervening in violence in our communities, the great people out there who are committed to making a safer place, they want to collaborate with our police department.

I think that's where we need to go.

Mr Ramos.

So I would say actually to answer your question, we've gotten hundreds and hundreds of young people off the streets and I'm glad that you've taken a newfound interest in our communities.

You didn't I've never noticed you working with any of those organizations in years prior before this election.

So what I see here is an individual who Joan Larsen when it was beneficial to them.

So a sort of pandering approach.

That's not what I've done.

And to say my experience from 20 years ago, it's my experience during the 20 years.

It's something that I'm still doing and active today.

I still live in Senator Casey and I lived on Sesame Street up until five years ago.

Mr Tamaqua, would you like to respond?

Well, I mean, I lived on 11th Street until ten years ago.

I Deli in Center City.

I like to see I mean, I don't know those hundreds of lives that we've seen impacted.

I don't know what the impact of that what I've been doing over the past 12 years is helping our region create jobs.

Job creation is the thing that takes it helps reduce violence.

Job creation gives people something to do besides causing problems.

I'm a big subscriber.

I really believe I'm going to talk about that later on.

So I'm going to cut you off right there.

Sorry about that, Mr Ramos.

Across the Lehigh Valley, some urban neighborhoods have become more enticing to young people.

Walkability, nightlife.

As mayor, what measures will you take to make Allentown feel safe, welcoming and vibrant, to keep young people here?

I think that we need to have I hands on deck approach, you know, where we get everyone collaborate together, organizations, developers, business owners, all of the above city officials.

Everyone needs to be working together to create pathways and opportunities to success in our Senator Toomey especially once we have that we'll have an environment that supports those young people and then we need to provide safety in the areas that they like to frequent.

We're not going to have that if we continue to have maybe a city hall who sometimes doesn't want to be as flexible on working with our nightlife.

You know, our club owners are where the areas where young people frequent.

I would do that.

I would have an open door policy.

100%.

You know, again, I dealt with a lot of this because I'm from the community and I frequent this some of those places when I was younger.

So I understand it.

Well, again, this comes from my experience being in this city growing up here and still living here.

And now I have young people to thank you, Mr Emmaus.

Mr Tuerk, how will you keep and persuade young people that Allentown is a place to be?

So I draw on my experience in economic development again, that took me across the country.

I saw lots of different places that were successful in creating vibrant, exciting downtowns.

In fact, when I was at the Allentown Economic Development Corporation, we worked closely with the Chamber of Commerce and their planning for programing and activities on Hamilton Street.

We worked closely with the city of Allentown and I look forward as mayor to continuing to work with those partner organizations, including City Center.

Hamilton Street is a vibrant place.

It's full of fantastic young people.

We need to give them compelling reasons to frequent restaurants here.

We need to give them reasons to get out in the street and bring the downtown to life.

This is what makes our city an attractive place across the country.

This is what makes a place where people want to live programmings part of it.

We have a good team, an excellent team at the city of Allentown, the special events, we can beef that up.

We can work with our partner communities and organizations like ArtsQuest.

I thank you, Mr Tuerk.

I want to remind both candidates that you both have one minute to respond.

We have a lot to get to.

So I will unfortunately have to cut you off if you go along.

Mr Tuerk, the killing of George Floyd sparked outrage and action here in Allentown.

What do you plan to do to inspire trust and confidence in the police department, especially among people of color?

So one of the key things that we need to do is invest in our police department and make sure I think they're doing a good job.

I think I'd start by saying that my belief is that we can invest in training in our police department.

The President Obama offered eight that can't wait for police departments.

My belief is that we need to Berks County we're already well down the road on that Allentown police department has invested in desolation training involved in Georgetown University's active bystander leadership training.

We have to continue to invest in our officers.

We have to recruit from within our city.

I'd like to use American rescue plan to create a scholarship fund that would get Allentown kids into a police academy where they can become the police.

The future they have the built in relationships with our neighborhoods.

That's I think that's the core issue is adding new great people to Allentown police department and to continue to invest in the fantastic officers that we have there.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

Mr Ramos, what do you think?

How can Allentown improve the reputation of the police department among people of color?

You I know what it is to face discrimination here in the city.

My family was the first Latino family on our block back in 1987.

But we need to get back to the basics here and Allentown it's things like community policing programs where we foot and bike patrols in the neighborhoods that need it most.

You I remember once Palmerton down on 2nd Street a certain officer I won't name him because I didn't talk to him prior, but he used to get out and play chess with the guys over a second and Gordon I remember that.

I remember all community police because they we actually had a relationship and that's what we need to get back to relational environment with our community and our police so that they both know they're advocating for each other and they have allies beyond that.

What I have already proposed was doing a explorers program where we're onboarding young people from the school district into the city departments to give them internships.

I also want to work with Pfizer superintendents so that and our school board so that we can create a ROTC type program for Allentown police, fire and EMS.

I think it's important and Kenhorst Tim Ramos.

Mr Tuerk, you'd like to respond?

Yeah, I think I mean, the community outreach group within the Allentown Police Department is already it's already in progress, right.

Sergeant Leonard, this is an extension of an initiative that former Chief Granite's began really began to invest in inforce and has continued by our new chief.

Rogov is a fantastic guy.

He has a group of individuals who are involved in the kind of things that I was talking about investment in the neighborhoods going out and walking with those community groups to prevent violence there.

There the school resource officers are doing a fantastic job.

This is stuff that's already beginning.

We need to find the resources to facilitate more of that.

And that's where I'd be interested.

I'd be interested to know how Mr Rightmost proposes to find revenue.

Mr Tuerk Breitbart.

We're going to move on to the next question.

Mr Tuerk, this is for you.

Affordable housing is a huge issue.

New apartment buildings are out of reach for low and middle income workers.

What's the plan to create more affordable housing?

So my belief is that we have to collaborate with partners across the region to address affordable housing.

Why is that?

There's really there's a strong demand for housing in the city of Allentown, but also in the Lehigh Valley the region simply not keeping up with demand.

We're not building fast enough to accommodate the interest.

40% of the housing stock in the city of Allentown was built for 1930.

So really we have an affordable housing crisis here in Allentown.

It is a crisis not just of quantity and supply.

It's a crisis of quality.

A lot of our housing stock is in poor condition because it was built 100 years ago or more and simply isn't it wasn't built to last that long.

So what we really need to do is address the demand by building across the region, collaborating with the Whitehall's and the Bethlehem Tidioute of the world, working with Lehigh Valley planning Commission to ensure that we are accommodating the demand for our fantastic.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

What can be done to encourage home ownership and enable affordable housing in Allentown?

One thing I would like to do is use some of the RBA funds to create a fund for a sort of first time homebuyers program, a first Shenandoah grant, if you will.

A lot of our community can afford a mortgage, but they don't have is $10,000 or five to ten thousand setting aside where they can put and have an affordable down payment on on a property.

And that's what I've been hearing out the doors.

That's what people have reached out to me about.

But you know, we need to get back to market rate apartments and properties here in the city.

We definitely need homeownership.

And I would do that with those RBA funds.

Again, having a first front door grant.

It gives Center City residents, especially our residents, across the across town an opportunity to purchase sometimes the homes they've rented for almost a decade or And you know, it's a shame when you have people who can't even purchase the home they've lived in.

But that's honestly what we're dealing with.

So I would get back to that.

Thank you, Mr Emmaus.

Mr Tuerk Ivanka Trump the best way to put people in a position to buy their homes is to to work to create jobs across the region for them.

If we can attract good paying jobs, the city of Allentown we can build wealth in those neighborhoods.

I think there's a tremendous opportunity given the housing stock to to make acquisitions to help people acquire their homes.

I think a better use of the rescue plan dollars is to invest in energy efficiency improvements to those homes.

I think we should spend something like 30% of our dollars to support housing and lower the cost of housing to our residents.

We have to build new, but we also have to make improvements to existing.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

You raised your hand hand.

I would say that we have thousands of job openings right now and in fact I myself am have had a open position for eight track workers and plumbers in my company for the last several weeks.

You know, there is work right now and people are paying more because of the conditions.

So I do share with many of our people in our community and say, hey, listen, you've got to get jobs now take the opportunity while they're paying high dollars and they're paying a higher wage.

So there are opportunities for work.

We need to get people back to work.

But as far as creating opportunities right here in the downtown, then yes, we do need to open up some properties that we do have the very few, but we do have some properties for opportunity.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

We're actually going to move on.

Mr Ramos, this next question is for you.

I mentioned at the top that the Allentown school district has hired a new superintendent.

He'll be paid nearly a quarter million dollars a year to run the city's schools 17,000 students for a district in financial crisis.

Do you think that's a wise investment?

You know, I spoke with our school board members as I understand it, the deal they offered on the superintendent comes without a buyout and annuity.

So if he doesn't do the job or is unsatisfied himself and walks away, the school district is not on the hook for paying him after the fact.

As many people know, our previous I believe for superintendents are still being paid from those same programs.

What I would do is offer I want to create the Mayor's Council on Education where I will work with the superintendent.

The administration had business owners, parents, teachers and get engaged together to create solutions and find solutions for the budget affecting the school district.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

Do you think $230,000 a year is a wise investment?

So my belief is that this is experience that I've had from promoting the region for the past 12 years is that the Allentown school district and its success or failure is one of the most important.

One of the most important roles in the continued success of our region.

So I think you have to invest to succeed and the reality is that the task of ensuring success for the Allentown School District is really it's too great for one organization alone to tackle.

My belief is that we should commit our city and commit the mayor's office to regular meetings with that superintendent to ensure that superintendent success.

I'll be the Allentown school district's best friend.

We need to do that to support our kids.

We'll have top to top meetings between the mayor and the superintendent will be the school district's ally and city services and will be an advocate for the school district to bring resources back from Harrisburg and Washington to make sure that our kids are in the best position to succeed.

Thank you, Mr Hurk.

This question is for you.

68,000 people in Allentown identify as Hispanic.

That's a majority.

How has Allentown government adapted to serve this population and what more would you do?

That's a great question.

So one of the reasons that I chose to run is that I felt like the government hasn't done enough to serve that population.

We really need representation.

We need leaders in the city of Allentown who not just weren't just Spanish speakers but who have an understanding of Latino culture.

Right.

So that comes from more than just our background, but it comes from experience.

So I've worked in Panama and Nicaragua.

I have years working in those environments.

I understand the culture in those places.

And I think that one for my administrations ability to serve our Latino population, I think we should do something.

I would like to create a Latino Affairs Council, but I'd like to do is have a group that is offering guidance on all the things that we do in the city.

55% of the city needs that attention.

We need to make sure that they are that everything is built with them in mind.

Thank you.

Mr Ramos.

Your response, what more should Allentown do to serve the growing Latino population?

Well, you know, again, I got to go back to my history here.

You know, I grew up on 7th Street.

I'm a graduate.

I've been on the front side of these issues facing our residents for a long time.

As a Latino, what we care about is what everyone else cares about in this city.

We want safe streets, quality of life, stronger schools, stronger neighborhoods and representation.

It's not just about pandering and checking boxes.

It's about who has a record on fighting for these interests and I have that record.

I've been president for the last 12 years fighting for the issues of fighting for the rights and issues affecting Latino residents for the past 12 years.

From the newspaper.

Just business issues.

I've represented them.

I've been present representing them, fighting for our community as a whole and our Latino community.

My opponent, again, as it Mr Tuerk, you'd like a word.

I mean, again, we're our past and our history is important and I work for the Allentown Economic Development Corporation where we administered Pennsylvania minority business development authorities Revolving Loan Fund and we supported the creation of a lot of Latino businesses here in Allentown in the Lehigh Valley.

But what we're asking Mr Ramos is what we're going to do now, not where we've been in the past, but what we're doing in the future.

And I, for one, will make sure that our residents are heard and understood.

I think it's being asked of you is what are you going to do, Mr Ramos?

I'm going to continue the work that I've been doing for the last 12 years that's fighting for our residents.

Red phase their interests, fighting to make sure that city hall is respecting them, hearing them, advocating for them, being an ally for them.

Those are the things I'm going to do.

That's what I've done.

So for me, there's no transition.

So what I'm going to do, I'm already doing it.

And it's what I've been doing for the last 12 years.

I'm an active member of my community.

Fighting when they have been legit has been legislation passed that's going to adversely affect our Latino businesses.

I've been the one going to them speaking to them, getting them together to go to city council meetings so their voices can be heard.

In the past they've been frustrated.

I've been frustrated for many years.

That's what motivated me to get into this race and I'll continue to represent their interests.

Tatamy I represent the interests of Ontelaunee Nazareth mayor because it's Allentown that needs a voice in City Hall Northampton Wilson.

But I'll give you each ten seconds.

Mr Tuerk, would you like to respond.

I think we have to.

We've got work to do.

We have to be open.

We have to open areas.

We have to make sure that Allentown is a place where people who have an experience in a place like Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic can effectively engage in civic life here and that requires somebody who has tremendous experience in in those places.

Mr Tom Rice, you have the last word on this.

I think that's great.

That's a great experience outside.

So it would be quite reasonable to ask Donald Neely gonna so we have very intimate knowledge of those communities or even communities in the city, but if you want to see Mr Tuerk is going to more represent look at his finance reports.

It's not our community.

It's those who are supporting us.

We have to move on.

Thank you, Mr Ramos.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

We continue the 2021 Allentown mayoral debate on PBS39 and 91.3 WLVT are.

This program is being simulcast on 91.3 WLVT and broadcast live on Facebook.

Thanks again for participating.

Mr Tuerk and Mr Ramos.

We're going to be switching things up a bit here this is our crossfire section of the debate where you get to ask each other questions, taking turns, you'll ask your opponent two questions.

They'll have one minute to respond.

Mr Ramos, you start your first question.

Mr Tuerk man in the primary loan you raised well over $120,000 more than twice as much as any of your opponents.

You did that with over 20,000 from side the state, tens of thousands from lobbyists and the special interest groups.

Why should residents of Adamstown put their trust in you?

I think that you will put their needs ahead of your donors because I'm the candidate.

It's going to bring the experience and the energy to City Hall.

They I have a track record of delivering for our region and I'm eager to bring that to Allentown City Hall.

The people who supported the campaign were supporting somebody who could help move our city forward.

Their interests in our city.

This is there's nothing I'm not sure which lobbyists you're referring to and the outside support I have I lived in South Carolina prior to coming here.

I have a fantastic network of people who have been very supportive of me from grad school.

I grew up in Boulder.

I went to high school in Boulder, Colorado.

I grew up in East Stroudsburg, but I was able to to earn support from my family and friends.

Tim, that's what a startup business does.

We get support from our friends and our family.

They believed in somebody who could transform the city and that led to a lot of support here in the city of Allentown.

So my heart's with the people of the city of Allentown.

That's what people were supporting.

Mr Tuerk, your first question for Mr Ramos?

Sure.

So I've been very transparent about my professional experience because I think it's important for Allentown voters to have all the information that they need when choosing our next mayor.

Tim, can you please provide your relevant experience in managing large organizations, complicated budgets and communication strategies?

Well, I have a great experience organizing called the Holy Ground where I upwards of 25 individuals working with at risk.

We often did events.

We lost 150 events a year and here in Center City around Allentown, around Bethlehem and East Central Lehigh County, I've had experience running my own business and I've been successful Susquehanna I had in fact I just signed a great contract six weeks ago.

So we are ready to take on the issues and we're ready to deal with what the needs of Allentown the one we're prepared.

We've been prepared and I've been again in the chambers of council looking at other countries offering solutions, finding where there's been deficits.

A few years ago we had a 5 million deficit.

I showed exactly where it is only is our city council wasn't ready to hear that.

So I'm ready and I've been offered no solutions for years.

They want Tim Ramos is right.

I'm your second and final question for Mr Tuerk.

Say that again, Mr Emmaus.

Your second and final question for Mr Tuerk.

I would say, you know Mayor Panto been through a lot over the last 20 years.

We've had corruption, we've had rising taxes.

We've had again waves of violence.

You know, I think President many of our community leaders have been pressing over.

You've lived here for 17 years and all of us agree that we've never seen never seen in a city council meeting.

I've seen you in a school meeting, never seen you in a community Fauci.

How can Allentown residents expect you to show up as mayor now if you haven't shown up previously to this campaign so the first five years from 28 to 2013, I work for the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.

We worked to turn around a business incubator on 10th Street that is creating new manufacturing jobs across our city.

I was the Treasurer for the old Allentown Preservation Association four years I was the shade tree commissioner for the city of Allentown.

I was Shihri commissioner for I think three years.

Then I helped.

I mentioned before Bloomsbury and barbecue.

I remember serving beer at the very first Bloomsbury Luzerne barbecue.

I'm a member of Muhlenberg Weissport of Associates and I'm part of that community really.

It's the community that I got to know over those years as a member of the Allentown young professionals.

That community is the community that supported me, that's the community that elected me and that's the community that will expect to see me again.

The people that have gotten to know during the election.

I love them.

I cannot wait to see them on the streets.

I run every street in the city and I'm looking forward to walking every the street with our residents.

And final question for Mr Ramos.

OK, team someone Latinos UGI you plan that you'll pardon Mr Consejo.

There are some Latinos Capellan to them our contest then your Senator Toomey Macungie your Gilberton Ursinus College John Bolton with Travis.

He then Andrew Cuomo Lori Vargo Heffner Latino John Bolton Speaker Pelosi Staci Inez said that and Sal Panto Donald Trump comunidad.

Can back your SAG.

Gilberton Utusan representation e representation s masta.

They're gonna say things like pandering to someone not being on the Dominion be there.

We go to represent that community that Luzerne Yoba said don't mean when you look Yardley said siempre Botham Jean Youngsville don't get up out of my money that a yes or no wonder your khaldiya thank you gentlemen.

That concludes the crossfire segment of the debate.

We're going to continue with more questions you'll each have a chance to answer after that will wrap things up with your closing statements.

Once again, this lived debate between Allentwn mayoral candidates is being brought to you by PBS39 and 91.3 WLVT are just a reminder.

You each get up to a minute to respond here.

And if you want to rebut something, signal me.

Mr Tuerk, I'll start with you.

Last week City Council debated why there $100,000 sitting unspent in the homeless Services Fund.

We know the need has spiked in the pandemic.

Where's the disconnect here?

The disconnect so the disconnect between the spending from city council and the.

Can you clarify the question why isn't that money being spent on the question of why that money is not being spent?

I think, again, comes to to to a lack of coordination with our city.

This is where we do see some discord or we do see some silos.

I talked before about establishing a culture of service to our residents and our stakeholders.

These are those individuals that's part of our community.

When we can break down right now, this inter-departmental silos that prevent collaboration or the needed collaboration to move our city forward.

So my belief is that with good management and management skills that I've developed over years working in the private and public sector, we can make sure that the money gets spent effectively and efficiently and serve the needs of our residents.

The money is not spent, goes to the general fund.

I just wanted to clarify that.

So Mr Emmaus, your turn.

How can 100 thousand dollars for homeless services go unspent in times like these?

Well, you know what I think happened there and clearly Matt Luzerne stand questioned.

That's why I'm William McSwain is that what I think happened is we got the funds and the city wanted to use first Yaka funds before using those dollars because if they had an opportunity to use the art of funds for issues like homelessness, they would be able to put some of that money back into the general, which is to answer the question.

But again, this is another area where I've worked for many years.

I remember many years going out to feed the homeless out in Tent City.

That was something I did with my church when I was very young.

That was something we continue to do as we as we got older as me and those on my team.

I will continue that work.

And I understand and I even suggested to our city officials, since they have the RBA funds that maybe they can set a certain dollar amount aside to directly address the issues of homelessness and transitional controls very quickly.

Just so if so, is that the city council meeting last night to discuss the funds that the city council event prior to that where they discussed our funds, city council and the administration agree on spending part of that fund, part of those funds to mitigate homelessness through a year round emergency shelter.

That's not a new idea.

I mean, this is something that's already in place.

Thank you, Mr Tim Ramos.

This question is for you.

It's only been three years since former Mayor Ed Pawlowski was convicted of awarding city contracts for campaign contributions.

What's it going to take to remove that stain from the city and how do you plan to root out the culture of corrupion?

You know why I always say is we're going to be able to do that with transparency, with character and with integrity.

That's something that I've run on for in my previous election.

I hold true to it now.

And what you can expect from Tim Ramos is that what we know in city hall, the community is going to know at large because many times and I've heard this is the city knew if residents knew what was going on Ahmaud Arbery that's not true.

We need to stop treating our community like children.

Be honest, be transparent and hold people accountable.

They're doing wrong.

That would never happen.

Tim Ramos administration.

You can expect the utmost dedication to integrity and following the law.

Mr Tuerk, does the Kalowski cloud still hang over the city?

And what's your plan to end corruption?

So I can tell you for certain that it does?

This is the work that I've done for years to attract investment to the Lehigh Valley is impacted by what Ed Pawlowski did the plant and corruption.

I saw the municipal corruption first hand working and I can tell you that while Allentown and the city of Allentown needs to do better in terms of efficiency of government services, there's not corruption here like you'd in a place like that.

I think that's in part thanks to the work that Mayor Ray O'Connell has done.

Ray O'Connell inherited a bad situation, steadied the ship for us.

And what I think we need to do is build on the work that he's done.

He has he's restored morale.

What he's left behind, though, and this is one of the places where I'm eager to to bring my skills is he's left inter-departmental silos.

So getting people to work together that is that's what is ahead of us.

And making real transparency.

I've talked about dashboards to show government service delivery Tuerk.

That's how we can interact Birdsboro and Mr Thomas, you and I would agree that Mr Merrick Garland has done a good job to try and eliminate some of those things.

But you know, I have to always keep asking the question Mahanoy City and tens of thousands of dollars from Ed Pawlowski donors.

So how can we be konforti that he's not going to be beholden to their special interest?

And it's the same people if you look his finance reports, it looks like Ed Pawlowski our finance report.

Mr Tuerk.

I can't look I can't look at the remote finance reports that have been made available.

So where are your ystem?

All you gotta do is Carbon County.

We're going to move on here Mr Tuerk, this next question is for you.

The erosion of bipartite kinship and civility in politics seems to have spread across society.

How do you feel about the ramped up rhetoric and division in the country and what could your administration do about easing it here in Allentown?

So I'm a big believer in local and as heated as and I might get in a debate like this, we do have a cordial relationship.

I think we both understand that we have that we're good people with a commitment to our city and that's what I think you find when you knock on doors and Allentown I knock on Republican doors, I knock on Democrat cause I knock on libertarian doors.

I found there's a commitment in our city to civil dialog.

That's one of the things that I love about Allentown is that people Allentown are focused on what's working and doesn't work in Allentown they were looking for Allentown solutions.

I believe that we can resolve some of this strife that we at a national level with good agreement on the local level.

I have again, I've got folks who are weighing in and providing ideas for our campaign from both sides of the aisle.

I think we set the example for the nation in cities like Allentown.

Mr Most your thoughts on bipartisanship and civility in government.

But you know, in our last debate, Matt said a statement to me that my response said I don't exist and these two boxes, that's because, you know, my experience here in the city is being the person I don't think Democrat or Republican first.

That to me is foolishness.

We don't live by these Tiber's.

We need people who have an experience and a record of showing for the community and being a unifier, someone understands how to bring people together and to work collaboratively for the best interests of our community, not the best interests of party politics, not the best interests and of that nonsense and frankly, I think that our residents, much of the country are sick of disgusting attitude has been displayed over the last two years by both parties.

I would be a unifier.

I work I've got a history of working with community members of all stripes of all walks of life.

I know that as mayor Tuerk so I mean that.

And again and Tim and I have a cordial relationship.

But to go back to Tim's history Tim Ramos Tim Ramos for Trump in the 2012 election and President Trump was one of the most divisive figures in our country's history and I think we're planning on seeing what we expect to see him again in 2024.

That's quite the opposite of unification.

That's the divisiveness.

Let's move on here, Mr Emmaus.

This next question is for you.

Can you hear me OK, Mr Tuerk?

We're going to go to this next question to you.

How do you jump start businesses to success and support diverse business development so I personally would draw upon my experience working in the city of Allentown Janet Yellen Economic Development Corporation.

My first job or the first thing I did for the regional economic Development Corporation was the I ran Innovation, Talent and Entrepreneurship Council.

I have that experience working at the Bridge Berks Enterprise Center, working directly with startups, working with startups and early stage companies that Ben Franklin Tech ventures in South Side Bethlehem collaborating with Lehigh University.

I have a wealth of experience in this area.

I've also worked on the local level on Linden Street.

I worked with a couple of entrepreneurs who tried to get the bakery on 1,100 block of land and started.

They struggled with English and that was one of the early ways that I helped a business here in Allentown navigate the challenges for non English speakers.

So I would I'd invest my time and energy in that.

But I'd also work with our staff as a tremendous group of people, including Dan Diaz and Danny Yorgos at the city of Allentown who understand how to help businesses get started.

Thank you, Mr Tuerk.

Mr Emmaus, can you hear me?

Do we have you back?

Yes.

Great.

We're going to go to this next question for you.

This diddies Shati plan prioritizes supporting diverse owned businesses as mayor.

How will you help businesses succeed minority owned businesses especially?

And where do you start?

How can you help new businesses so that they're not starting up to fail?

Well, you know, I've talked about for years, if you'll remember this genesis about some of the red tape that we faced with starting new businesses in city of Allentown, it makes it very difficult.

Oftentimes you have business owners spending many thousands of dollars before they open their doors and that's just in their dealing with the city.

And Ray O'Connell acknowledged and agreed with me that that's a problem and that was something we needed to work on.

I would immediately deal with that issue on day one and begin to clear the road for new business startups.

Also, we need to stop creating an environment where we're looking for outside businesses to come in and bless them.

We need to take care of our local businesses, our mom and pop shops running up and down the street and those that used to be down on Hamilton Anita Dunn for them to be able to create incentives for them.

That hasn't been done in the past.

In fact, the opposite has been done now.

And that's not a recipe for success.

With that, I would change it.

I would turn to tire.