After an alleged gunshot struck City Council President Michael Flaherty’s car, Wednesday night’s City Council debate took on added significance.
The eight candidates for four at-large City Council seats reiterated their positions on diversity in Boston at a debate at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, a day after the Associated Press reported that Flaherty’s SUV was struck leaving Dorchester on Tuesday.
Flaherty arrived at the debate to see a throng of supporters thanking him and calling for his reelection.
“I’ve devoted myself to a lifetime of public service,” said Flaherty, who is running for re-election. “I’ve worked for you before, and I want to go back to work for you.”
Dorchester resident Carlos Henriquez, 28, a Flaherty supporter who attended the debate, called the councilor a “grassroots candidate.”
“He will shake my hand, and he delivers,” Henriquez said of Flaherty, who was elected to the Council in 1999.
Franco Marzou, a 39-year-old Dorchester resident, said a productive city councilor must address justice, safety and schools.
“I have a kid in the Boston Public School system, and he has three … His problem is my problem,” Marzou said.
“Aside from Flaherty, we need one woman and one minority on City Council,” Marzou added, referring to candidates Patricia White and Sam Yoon.
White and Yoon, in turn, appealed to minority voters.
“Women must ask: ‘Is my voice represented?'” White said.
According to White, there are 300,000 women in Boston, and these women do not feel safe in the city.
“Women are the primary caretakers,” she said. “They shouldn’t feel anxiety walking down the street.”
If White is not elected, there will only be one woman city councilor — Maureen Feeney (Dorchester, Harbor Islands) — out of 13.
“One in 13 is not enough,” White said.
Yoon, a first-time candidate, is the first Asian American to run for a seat on the Boston City Council.
“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Yoon said. “It’s about honor and responsibility. I am aware that Asians from all over the state will be calling me with problems if and when I win.”
Matt O’Malley, the youngest candidate running for a Council seat, said he understands that Boston is a more ethnically diverse city now than it used to be.
“I’ve helped create this new Boston, and I know that I can recognize and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the city,” he said.
One of the resurfacing issues was the dropout rate and lack of funding for Boston Public Schools. Every candidate agreed that the solution to the dropout problem was an increase in funding to provide more extensive after-school programs.
The Center on Media and Society at UMass-Boston hosted the debate. The eight candidates answered questions from a panel of three journalists from Univision, the Bay State Banner and Sampan. The forum was moderated by Callie Crossley, from WGBH’s Beat the Press.
Each candidate was allowed opening and closing statements and answered questions from the panelists. They were also allowed to ask questions of each other.
About 60 people attended the event, which will be aired on WGBH on Sunday.
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