Voters who filled the Greenville High School lecture hall Monday night saw magnets repel.

Republican Mayor Clifford Harriger and Democratic challenger Carmen Surano disagreed on just about every issue in a League of Women Voters debate that attracted more than 100 people.

The election is Nov. 6.

The candidates had three minutes each to make opening and closing statements. In between, they were asked a dozen questions by three panelists that focused on issues facing the borough and mayoral duties and powers.

Few questions were answered directly, some not at all.

Despite their disagreements, Harriger and Surano agreed that the mayor is more than just a powerless figurehead.

"I am the chief elected official of the borough," said Harriger, who has been mayor for eight years. "My signature goes on every ordinance. Essentially, I am a voting member of council. I can refuse to sign an ordinance."

Surano echoed the mayor: "I'm going to be a strong mayor. I liken myself to a CEO (chief executive officer) of a company. I'm not going to put my name on anything I don't support."

The mayor does have the power to temporarily veto council actions.

According to borough code, the mayor must sign every ordinance and resolution passed by council. If the mayor chooses not to sign legislation, he must return it with his objections to council at their next regular meeting. Council can overturn the veto with a two-thirds vote; it would take five Greenville borough councilman to shoot down a veto.

The main issue spurring in terest in the Greenville mayoral and council races this year -- and the one that generated the most questions Monday night -- is the borough's $5.5 million recreation and revitalization project.

While much of the funding is coming from state grants, two 10-mill tax hikes are being used to pay off a bond issue earmarked for the local share of the project. The Committee of Concerned Taxpayers -- of which Surano is the de facto leader -- formed in response to those tax hikes.

Harriger, who signed off on council action to go ahead with the project, supports both the nearly completed sports complex in West Salem Township and said borough officials have to continue with plans for a walking trail, downtown streetscaping and a new recreation center.

Surano said the borough jumped the gun on the recreation projects and unfairly burdened taxpayers with the cost. Surano acknowledged that the sports complex is a done deal, but said improving downtown buildings, perhaps with low interest loans, should take priority over period streetlighting, tree planting or sidewalk improvements.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Tom Fontaine at

tfontaine@sharon-herald.com