Still, the Salt Lake City mayoral candidates had their moments during the RadioWest forum on KUER, hosted by Doug Fabrizio.

"My opponent has been on the City Council eight years, and has been resisting change," Becker said about Buhler while stressing the need to revamp the city's liquor laws.

Buhler argued that as a state senator, he ran measures at the Legislature to ease rules on booze while Becker, the Democratic House minority leader, "never tried."

"I'll take some blame for not being pro-active on it," Buhler, a Republican, said about liquor reform during his two terms on the council. "But I've also said I will not be resistent."

For his part, Becker pointed to Denver. He said the Colorado capital used to be a dead zone but now is "hopping" due to forward thinking from city leaders. The same, he says, should happen here.

On Gateway, Becker reiterated past statements that the shopping center "sucks" life from the downtown core. He called it "a bit artificial" and said the decision to build was poorly handled by the city.

Buhler took some umbrage at the thought.

"I was very surprised by that," he told Fabrizio. "I wondered if Ralph has ever been to The Gateway on a Friday evening."

The city councilman noted Becker has a fundraiser scheduled with live bands this weekend at The Depot, a concert venue at The Gateway.

Buhler also lashed his opponent for his role in the environmental-impact study for the natural-history museum on the bench above the University of Utah's Research Park.

"I was surprised that Ralph, the environmentalist, went forward," said Buhler, who would prefer to see the museum downtown. "It was a shame that the person that they looked to for guidance didn't warn them not to build there."

Becker, whose environmental-planning firm Bear West conducted the impact study, stressed his job was to conduct a professional review, not make a recommendation.

"It is of utmost importance in our role as professionals that we not take a position," he said.

Becker also challenged Buhler for not raising any concerns during the lengthy review process that encouraged public input.

Despite the exchanges, the candidates also found common ground.

Both support the open-space protection of the North Salt Lake bench. Both adamantly oppose school vouchers. And both voiced concern about the city's Mormon, non-Mormon divide.

The hopefuls also pledged to rein in monster homes, consider incentives for permit seekers willing to build green and to protect locally owned businesses.

On the controversial sky bridge planned for the LDS Church's City Creek Center, the candidates differed again.

Though both support the construction plan, given a list of city conditions, Becker said he would rather not have the bridge.

"It will be a blip on the screen," he said, suggesting it may come down in "10 to 15 years," like other skywalks across the country.

Buhler called it a "critical link," that is necessary since TRAX trains soon will crisscross Main Street "every three to four minutes."

The latest Deseret Morning News-KSL TV poll shows Becker holds an 18 percentage point lead with just 11 percent undecided.

The mayoral election is Nov. 6.