By John Fredericks / Staff and Jonathan Copsey / Staff

It was raining cats and dogs. Underdogs, that is.

It was clearly the night of the underdogs at The Beacon Roswell City Council Debate, held on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Club.

The biggest gainer of the night was long-shot candidate Alex Fudali, who sent a clear message to his opponent Nancy Diamond in their Post 6 race. Fudali’s performance potentially got him back the race, and the Diamond coronation may be a little premature.  Perennial candidate James Hargreaves didn’t bother to show up, perhaps threatening his 1 percent threshold vote status.

The second gainer in the debate was incumbent Councilman Kent Igleheart, knocked down in the polls by public revelations in the press detailing his myriad of personal financial troubles.

Igleheart responded by unleashing a torrid assault on newcomer candidate Jim Pollak, with no let-up in sight. If Pollak unseats Igleheart, it won’t be without a dogfight from his crafty opponent. Igleheart has nothing more to lose, and it took him no time at all to take the gloves off.

But Pollak demonstrated he is no pushover either, and fought back with equal vigor in his effort to wrest Post 4 away from the two-term incumbent.

Then came Fleck. His undaunted issues campaign against entrenched incumbent Jerry Orlans may be gaining real traction with voters.

VOTH “MOST IMPROVED”

No doubt political newcomer Voth would have won the “Most Improved” trophy of the candidates clash if there were one to be awarded. Voth rehabilitated dramatically from his doleful and forlorn performance on Sunday at the East Roswell Candidates Forum. He also had the best comeback of the night. When asked by Price if he would recuse himself from all bicycle matters facing the city due to his avid bicycling status, Voth fired this back: “No. I am a motorist too. Does that mean I should recuse myself from transportation because I drive a car?”

The fact of matter is that Price is way ahead on name recognition and her closing statement was very cutting, as she defended her candidacy and explained that it was neither a stepping stone to higher office nor a conflict of interest.

OVERVIEW OF POST 3 RACE

Price is the overwhelming favorite to win, but Voth just keeps plugging along. The only risk for Price is if Roswell voters shun the aspect of too much power being accumulated in one household. Price’s husband is nationally recognized Congressman Tom Price (R-GA/6th), who some think may run for President in 2012. Barring that, Price romps with 70 percent or better on November 3.

IGLEHEART CHALLENGES POLLAK ON BUDGET AND TAXES

Igleheart wasted no time in going after Pollak on a number of fronts, starting with Roswell’s budget by asking his opponent what he would do if presented with this years budget “with a shortfall of $1.2M and reserves disappearing in four years?”

Pollak said he would do the same as the majority of the 4-3 vote, leaving Igleheart the future opportunity to suggest Pollak may be forced to vote for a tax increase. Iglheart shot back: “You think there is nothing wrong with not pushing staff to do better and just spending down our reserves? Why not, it’s a rainy day, right?”

Not to be denied, Pollak blasted Igleheart for voting to furlough city employees for one day a month while excluding his council salary from being eliminated for six months. Igleheart answered that his proposal for 12 annual furlough days included elected officials and said he saw the salary elimination proposal as nothing more than political grandstanding by opponents.

The low point of the exchange came when Pollak accused his opponent of having excessive absences from Council meetings. Iglehearted defended his attendance with the specific dates surrounding his wedding and so forth. But it was like watching paint dry.

OVERVIEW OF POST 4 RACE

Three factors are at work simultaneously. First there is a clear generational gap. We don’t know how this will play out. Second, Igleheart’s financial problems will cost him votes- we don’t know how many. Third, Igleheart has the most consistent record of fiscal conservatism in North Fulton, while Pollak has no record. We expect Igleheart to tag Pollak as a closet tax hiker.

This contest is now a toss-up. But Igleheart has the momentum.

FLECK STAYS CALM, ORLANS DEFENDS HIS RECORD

The animated sparring between Councilman Jerry Orlans and challenger Lee Fleck may have highlighted the event. Fleck has made crime, Roswell’s deficit budget and Orlans ties to Mayor Jere Wood the key campaign themes in his bid to topple the 17-year incumbent. Fleck demonstrated an impressive command of the details of local government, and unlike his Sunday performance, remained calm and measured throughout.

When asked to name one vote he made that was in opposition to Wood’s in the last two years, Orlans took the fifth: he couldn’t name one. This added fuel to Fleck’s claim that he is in “lock step” with Wood.

Orlans, composed, confident and as gentlemanly as ever, never got off the defense over his budget vote to dip into reserves. In an apparent attempt to change the subject he made a valiant effort to position Fleck as a naysayer.  Firing his best shot, Orlans asked Fleck if he could name five positive things about Roswell. Without hesitation Fleck responded with enthusiasm. This is clearly a choice between a bona fide watchdog and the seasoned veteran who has been in office for four-terms.

OVERVIEW OF POST 5 RACE

No doubt Fleck is still fighting an uphill battle to unseat a city icon like Orlans. But this race has “upset” written all over it. If Wood grabs less than 30 percent of the November 3 mayoral vote, which is now a distinct possibility, Fleck will very well win this race. Fleck has shown he’s a relentless campaigner, and his issue- oriented platform is not to be underestimated.

FUDALI PAINTS DIAMOND IN A CORNER

Alex Fudali put Nancy Diamond on notice: this race is not over. He managed to nail Diamond to the wall on her proposal to make Roswell’s fire fighters full-time city employees, pressing her to come clean with how she would fund it. Unbelievably, Fudali than got Diamond to go on the record favoring a commercial property tax increase to pay for it. Fudali then deftly separated himself from Diamond in endorsing a mandatory three percent property tax assessment cap and by going on the record to support term limits for council members.

Diamond, saddled with having to respect Orlans due to the slate of candidates she has thrown in with, had no choice but to bail on the question.

It was a dreadful night for Diamond, as her “Prom-Queen” image was tarnished.

It was a banner debate for Fudali, who proved himself a serious contender, and a real threat to Diamond’s perceived electoral juggernaut.

OVERVIEW OF POST 6 RACE

With the calamitous ramifications of using the city’s reserves to meet revenue shortfall laid bare, and since talk of higher taxes – especially in a recession – is about as welcomed by voters as the swine flu, the only other place for candidates to go is “cut expenses”.  The problem with that answer, as Diamond discovered when pressed, is the devil is in the details.  Ultimately it comes down to the specifics of whose ox the candidate is willing to gore.

Diamond came out on the short end of that question – which showed her lack of political experience – a condition not without remedy. 

Fudali is poised to make this a race. Whether he can - or will - is the big question in Post 6.