EDITORIAL:

A City Council candidates forum last week in Costa Mesa demonstrated that there are more issues for the candidates to discuss than illegal immigration. And it proved the debate can be about meaningful subjects and not degenerate into name-calling.

Besides the dominating topic of how or whether the city should enforce federal immigration laws, the six candidates for two open seats also touched on shortages in the Police Department; a familiar topic in the proposed bridges at 19th Street and Gisler Avenue; a condominium development at 1901 Newport; and the shortage of athletic fields in town.

The candidates — author Chris Bunyan, business owner Mirna Burciaga, planning commissioner Bruce Garlich, parks and recreation commissioner Wendy Leece, Mayor Allan Mansoor and former Councilman Mike Scheafer — talked through these issues with little of the bile and heat expected to fill this campaign.

The most heated exchange was between Garlich and Mansoor — arguably the front-runners, given Garlich’s narrow election loss two years ago and Mansoor’s position as the sole incumbent — concerning taking donations from political committees — an issue that might fire up some ardent supporters but, for all the bluster about whether it compromises a candidate, is not as pressing as others for the city.

If voters are lucky, this first debate will set the tone for the campaign. There is no argument that this election will be extraordinarily important for the city. On any number of issues — immigration enforcement and how the city will handle issues of race and class are at the top of the list but are joined there by redevelopment of the Westside, traffic and others — the city seems to be at a crossroads. Will the city check people’s immigration status? Will it shut the door to charities? Will it push out businesses on the Westside in favor of housing?

With the vision of the candidates on a number of these big issues so markedly different, which way the city will go largely depends upon whom voters choose in November.

The debate and discussion of those issues ought to reflect that import.