With less than two weeks before the Bismarck municipal election, the seven candidates for two city commission seats were given a chance to separate themselves from their opponents at the Bismarck Tribune-sponsored forum Wednesday evening.

Mike Seminary, Vinod Seth, Jon Hunke, Keith Holzer, Cheryl Fenster, Parrell Grossman and Kurt Schmidt addressed a series of eight questions posed by Tribune editor John Irby during the course of an hour and a half.

About 40 people showed up at the Bismarck State College to hear the candidates' responses. The forum can be viewed on the Bismarck Tribune website at www.bismarcktribune.com.

The candidates all agreed in supporting a smoke-free policy for the city of Bismarck, though Hunke said that establishments where minors are not allowed may be exempt. Seminary also said he believed that, while he supported a smoke-free policy, people should have some sort of choice.

Expansion of the Civic Center also received the support of all the candidates, but they agreed the findings of a feasibility and marketing study will be crucial, along with the city's ability to afford construction. Holzer and Schmidt said that the city should not be involved in competing with the private sector. Holzer went further to say that the city cannot fund, nor should it provide tax breaks to, a proposed hotel adjacent the Civic Center.

All the candidates said they believed in property tax relief, but there were few, if any, specifics offered. Hunke spoke of using better decision-making, best practices and purchasing power techniques. Seminary said that cutting taxes during a period of growth, such as what Bismarck is experiencing, could be more hurtful than helpful. Seth asked if Bismarck wasn't getting good value for the taxes it was getting and said that cutting taxes probably wasn't automatic for him.

Schmidt said he believes that Bismarck has lost its focus of using the city sales tax for property tax relief and the sales tax should first be used for appropriate property tax reduction.

When they were asked what distinguished them from their opponents, the candidates answered:

"My credentials. I know city government, I know its funds. I won't have a steep learning curve (if elected to the city commission)," Hunke said.

Schmidt pointed to his involvement in committees and rule-making, and his 20 years as a manager. "My desire that government not compete with the private sector," he said.

Seth said that he had a global vision, having come from India, along with the time he could provide. He noted that the other candidates were in the middle of their careers, while he has retired.

Fenster talked about her varied work experiences and community involvement.

Grossman said he believes his experience as a school board member for six years and working in the Attorney General's office give him an edge in decision-making and making hard choices.

Holzer brought up his experience of having managed Bismarck's Kelly Inn for over 20 years and his ability to deal with people.

Seminary described his 25 years having run successful businesses. Listening, according to the candidate, was one of his strengths, along with consensus building and decision-making.

Perhaps the edgiest moments of the evening occurred when Seminary said he worked for Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson Inc., a company that does a great deal of business with the city in engineering and designing capital projects. Seminary said he did not believe there would be much of a conflict of interest, and if a situation did occur, he would, of course, recuse himself from any decisions.

But Schmidt took the opportunity to question Seminary's potential conflict of interest during his question on how he was distinguished from the other candidates. He pointed out that KLJ has many contracts with the city and it might affect Seminary's effectiveness.

Neither man took the issue any further.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)