Providence Mayoral Candidates Debate

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The five people running for mayor of Providence sparred over how to fix the city's finances during their first televised debate.

The Tuesday night debate featured four Democrats – state Rep. Steve Costantino, City Councilman John Lombardi, former Housing Court judge Angel Taveras, and Christopher Young – and independent Jonathan Scott. There are no republicans in the field.

All the candidates acknowledged the city's deep financial woes – a $52 million deficit for the 2011 fiscal year – and all claimed they were best equipped to handle it.

They also said the city must address it's pension shortfall approaching $1 billion.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)