The three candidates for the Asheville mayor’s job disagreed on a number of issues, but they concurred that the city is under attack from the state General Assembly, during their first public face-off Aug. 28 at the Country Club of Asheville.

Among the major issues on which they took different stances were the $2 million in spending in the current budget for the Asheville Art Museum, downtown development and the city’s living wage ordinance.

About 100 people attended the Leadership Asheville Forum that featured the three mayoral candidates, including Vice Mayor Esther Manheimer, former city employee John Miall and former Occupy Asheville member Martin Ramsey, who works as a waiter.

In general, Miall slammed city actions and spending in recent years, while Manheimer defended what she termed the city’s investments in its infrastructure and standing up for its interests. Meanwhile, Ramsey espoused involving the citizenry in decision-making.

Serving as the moderator of the event was Edward Hay, who juggled questions written by attendees on 3x5 notecards. Hay is a former Asheville vice mayor and current vice president of Leadership Asheville.

In opening remarks, Miall said a big concern for him is the mayor’s and City Council’s “stewardship” in recent years. At a public meeting on April 3, for instance, he said the citizenry was told by city officials that “the sky is falling” and that “things were really bad.” Later, those dire predictions proved erroneous, he said.

“The bottom line is, the city really has struggled with its finances... As (a former) risk manager for the City of Asheville, I literally put money back in people’s pockets” and that none of his opponents have shown that capability.

He added that “past behavior predicts future behavior” and “we’ve not done a good job of sustaining relationships.”

In a direct shot at the vice mayor, Miall said, “There’s a great deal said about Mrs. Manheimer being an attorney. I’ve not seen that that knowledge and experience has served us well” as a city. “We lost an airport.... I’m prepared to be and will be a full-time mayor for the City of Asheville.

Next, Manheimer noted she is a partner in Van Winkle Law Firm, where she specializes in property law. She added that she is married to Mike Harris, a teacher at Enka Middle School.

The vice mayor asserted, “I want to lead this community as we move forward together... I came to know Asheville in a very intimate way — I spent my first year as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. That’s when my eyes opened to our community and our community needs.”

Manheimer added that she went on to earn her master’s and law degrees and returned to Asheville, where she served on the board of the Jewish Community Center.

The third mayoral candidate, Ramsey, said he has lived in Asheville for eight years, working in the service industry. He termed himself “a community activist, working on local issues.”

He noted that he is a lifelong North Carolina resident, having been raised in the rural northeast part of the state. He attended college at UNC Wilmington. “I pride myself on compassion and being able to work with everyone.”

Ramsey said his platform as a candidate includes “meaningful democracy,” which “must be extended beyond the voting booth.” He also spoke of “participatory budgeting.”

Another plank in his platform involves creating a nonprofit community development corporation, which, Ramsey said, “democratizes wealth.”

He added, “The goal is to create the jobs that the job-creators forgot to make.”

While all three mayoral candidates expressed similar sentiments on their view of the state General Assembly treating Asheville as an enemy, Ramsey was, by far, the most outspoken in his negativity toward the legislature. “Let’s keep them from burning the place (Asheville) down in the meantime,” he said in reference to action by the General Assembly until the next election could possibly change the dynamic.

On a question about Pack Place and the funding of the art museum, Ramsey said, “I do think that we need to place power over our discretionary budget into the hands of Asheville taxpayers. I feel like ceding of authority to five people is fundamentally undemocratic....”

To that question, Miall said, “I am fundamentally opposed to giving $2 million to the Asheville Art Museum.” He said the numbers show that 9,000 people passed through the museum last year and Mial asked, rhetoricaly, “Where are the metrics?”

What’s more, he said, “Other people are going to do without because of that decision” by council and the mayor. “We need measurable metrics.

 Manheimer responded to the same question by noting that “cities like Asheville rely monthly on property taxes. To ensure that, you make sure you invest in the infrastucture” of the city.

 “The art museum is in Pack Place and $2 million represents 10 percent of the amount needed to redevelop that building,” she said.